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A    GROUl'    OF 

EASTERN   ROMANCES 

AND    STORIES 

FROM   THE   PERSIAN,   TAMIL,   AND   URDU. 


WITH  INTRODUCTION,  NOTES,  AND  APPENDIX 
Bv  ^\^   A.   CLOUSTON, 

AfTHOR    OF    "popular   TALES   AND   FICTIONS"   AND   THE    "BOOK    OK 

noodles";    EDITOR   OF   THE    "BOOK   OF    SINDIBAD,"   THE 

"  BAKHTYAR   KAMA,"   ETC. 


"  Who  is  he,  that  is  now  wholly  overcome  with  idleness  or  otherwise 
involved  in  a  labyrinth  of  worldly  cares  and  troubles  and  discontents,  that 
will  not  be  much  lightened  in  his  mind  by  reading  some  enticing  storj', 
true  or  feigned?" — Bo'rton's  Anatomy  of  Mdancho'.y. 


PRIVATELV    PRINtEa 


MDCCCI.XXXIX. 


Edition— j>c)o  Copies. 


c  6^0^ 


TO 
FORSTER  FITZGERALD  ARBUTHNOT,  ESQ., 

MEMBER   OF    THE   ROYAL   ASIATIC    SOCIETY   OF    GREAT    BRITAIN 
AND    IRELAND. 

My  Df:ar  Arbuthnot, 

Since  you  have  always  been  warmly 
interested  in  my  own  works  as  well  as  in  Oriental 
Literature  generally,  allow  me  to  Dedicate  to  you  the 
present  collection  of  Eastern  Tales.  This  I  do 
with  the  greater  pleasure,  knowing  that  no  man  is 
more  able  than  yourself  to  appreciate  their  value  for 
the  comparative  study  of  popular  fictions,  and  also 
to  recognise  their  entertaining  qualities. 

Believe  me, 

Yours  ever  faithfully, 

W.  A.  CLOUSTON. 
Glasgow,  April,  1889. 


^ 


PREFACE. 


T  has  been  justly  remarked  that  "the  literature  of 
a  nation   furnishes  the  best  guide  to  researches 
into  its  character,  manners,  and  opinions,  and  no  de- 
partment of  literature  contains  a  more  ample  store  of 
data  in  this  respect  than  the  light  and  popular  part 
consisting  of  tales,  romances,  and  dramatic  pieces." 
The  lighter  literature  of  medieval  Europe  affords  us 
<0    an  insight  into  customs,  manners,  and  superstitions 
C»    which  have  long  passed  away;  but  in  "the  unchanging 
'^    East "  the  literature  of  the  Asiatic  races,  produced  at 
^    the  same  period,  continues  to  reflect  the  sentiments  and 
M    habits  of  the  Hindus,  Buddhists,  and  MusHms  at  the 
tH    present  day.     For  among  Asiatics  belief  in  astrology, 
magic,  divination,  good  and  bad  omens,  and  evil  spirits 
(rakshasas,  divs,  jinn,  etc.)  who  are  ever  eager  to  injure 
human  beings  is  still  as  prevalent  as  when  the  oldest 
of  their  popular  tales  and  romances  were  first  written. 
The  child-like,  wonder-loving  Oriental  mind  delights 
in   stories  of  the  supernatural,   and  the    more    such 
narratives  exceed  the  bounds  of  human  possibility  the 
greater  is  the  pleasure  derived  from  them  ; — like  our 


vi  PREFACE. 

own  peasantry,  who  believed  (and  not  so  long  since) 
in  "ghosts,  fairies,  goblins,  and  witches,"  as  well  as  in 
the  frequent  apparition  of  Satan  in  various  forms  to 
delude  the  benighted  traveller,  and  were  fond  of 
listening  to  "tales  of  the  wild  and  wonderful"  during 
the  long  winter  evenings. 

The  following  collection  comprises  fairly  represen- 
tative Eastern  tales ;  some  of  which  are  of  common 
life  and  have  nothing  in  them  of  the  supernatural, 
while  in  others  may  be  found  all  the  machinery  of 
typical  Asiatic  fictions  :  gorgeous  palaces  constructed 
of  priceless  gems ;  wealth  galore ;  enchantments ;  magical 
transformations;  fairies  and  jinn,  good  and  evil.  Those 
who  think  that  they  are  "  sensible,  practical  men  " 
(and  are  therefore  iiot  sensible)  would  not  condescend 
to  read  "such  a  pack  of  lies";  but  there  be  men,  I 
wot,  who  entertain  no  particularly  high  opinion  of 
themselves,  to  whom  what  poor  Mr.  Buckle  called 
"  the  lying  spirit  of  Romance  "  is  often  a  great  solace 
amidst  the  stern  realities  of  work-a-day  life,  and,  carried 
away  in  imagination  to  regions  where  all  is  as  it  ought 
to  t>e,  they  for  a  brief  season  quite  forget  "  life  and  its 
ills,  duns  and  their  bills." 

But  few  words  are  necessary  to  explain  the  design 
of  the  present  work.  I  found  the  four  romances 
diverting  and  many  of  their  incidents  peculiarly  inter- 
esting from  a  comparative  folk-lore  point  of  view;  and 


PREFACE.  vii 

I  felt  encouraged  by  the  friendly  reception  of  my 
Book  of  Sindibdd  to  reproduce  them  as  a  companion 
volume  and  as  a  farther  contribution  to  the  study 
of  popular  fictions.  It  may  be  considered  by  some 
readers  that  my  notes  are  too  copious.  I  know  that 
foot-notes  have  been  likened  to  runaway  knocks, 
calling  one  downstairs  for  nothing ;  but  as  the  book 
is  not  specially  designed  for  Eastern  scholars  (who 
indeed  require  none  of  the  information  that  I  could 
furnish),  I  was  desirous  that  nothing  likely  to  be 
obscure  to  the  ordinary  reader  should  pass  without 
explanation  and  illustration  ;  and  since  these  foot- 
notes have  considerably  swelled  the  bulk  of  the  book 
and  I  shall  certainly  not  profit  by  them,  I  trust  they 
will  not  prove  altogether  useless  or  superfluous.  The 
abstract  of  the  romance  of  Hatim  Tai — which  was  an 
afterthought — and  the  other  matter  in  the  Appendix 
will  be,  I  venture  to  think,  interesting  to  readers  "of 
all  ranks  and  ages." 

It  only  remains  to  express  my  thanks,  in  the  first 
place,  to  the  learned  Orientalist  Mr.  Edward  Rehatsek, 
of  Bombay,  for  kindly  permitting  me  to  reprint  his 
translations  from  the  Persian,  with  which  I  have  taken 
a  few  liberties,  but  had  he  revised  them  himself,  I  feel 
sure  he  would  have  made  very  similar  alterations  : 
I  much  regret  that  want  of  space  prevented  me  from 
reproducing  more  of  the  shorter  stories.  In  the  next 
place,  I  (and  the  reader  also,  if  I  am  not  mistaken) 


viii  PREFACE. 

have  to  thank  Pandit  Natesa  Sastri,  of  Madras,  for 
his  translation  of  the  Tamil  romance,  which  I  have 
entitled  "The  King  and  his  Four  Ministers."  I  must 
also  acknowledge  my  great  indebtedness  to  Dr.  Chas. 
Rieu,  of  the  British  Museum,  whose  courtesy,  great  as 
everybody  knows  it  is,  I  fear  was  very  frequently  sorely 
tried  by  my  "anxious  inquiries";  and  to  Prof.  E. 
Fagnan,  of  the  Ecole  des  Lettres,  Algiers,  and  Mr. 
E.  H.  Whinfield,  who  has  done  good  work  in  Persian 
literature,  for  their  kind  investigations  regarding  an 
inedited  Turkish  story-book.  Private  friends  want 
no  public  recognition,  but  I  should  consider  myself 
ungrateful  did  I  omit  to  place  also  on  record  my 
obligations  in  the  course  of  this  work  to  Dr.  David 
Ross,  Principal  of  the  E.G.  Training  College,  Glasgow, 
to  Mr.  Leonard  G.  Smithers,  Sheffield,  and  finally,  but 
certainly  not  least  of  all,  to  my  old  and  trusty  friend 
Mr.  Hugh  Shedden,  Grangemouth.  With  so  much 
help  it  may  well  be  thought  my  work  might  have  been 
of  higher  quality  than  I  fear  is  the  case ;  but  there  is 
an  ancient  saying  about  expecting  "grapes  of  thorns," 
which  I  have  made  my  excuse  in  a  former  work. 

W.  A.  G. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTION      -------  xix 

HISTORY  OF  NASSAR 3 

Story  of  Shah  Manssnr 12 

Story  of  Hatim  Tai  and  the  Benevolent  Lady          -  46 

The  Painter's  Story          .         -         .         .         -  53 

The  Washerman's  Story            -         -         -         -  58 

The  Blind  Man's  Story 60 

The  Benevolent  Lady's  Story  -         -         -         -  64 

Story  of  Prince  Kasharkasha            -         -         .         .  69 

Continuation  of  the  History  ok  Nassau    -        -  98 

Story  of  the  Foolish  Hermit    -         -         -         -         -  112 

Story  of  the  Treacherous  Vazir        -         -         -         -  114 

Story  of  the  Unlucky  Shoayb           -         -         -         -  118 

Conclusion  of  the  History  of  Nassau         -        -  137 

HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

Chapter  I. 

How  three  brothers  set  out  on  a  trading  journey — 
How  the  youngest  is  cruelly  abandoned  by  his 

elder  brethren — How  he  meets  with  royal  favour  147 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter  II. 

The  hero's  quest  of  a  throne  of  marvellous  gems      -         154 

Chapter  III. 

The  hero  goes  in  quest  of  four  treasure-trees,  and  is 

married  to  the  Queen  of  the  Fairies  -         -         166 

Chapter  IV. 

How  the  hero  pretended  to  visit  Paradise,  and  caused 

all  his  enemies  to  perish  -         -         -         -         182 

THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS  -         -  193 

Story  of  the  Lost  Camel          .         .         .         -         .  194 

Story  of  the  Hunter  and  His  Faithful  Dog       -         -  206 

Story  of  the  Brahman's  Wife  and  the  Mungiis          -  211 
Story  of  the  Faithless  Wife  and  the  Ungrateful  Blind 

Man        -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -  215 

Story  of  the  Wonderful  Mango  Fruit       -         -         -  220 

Story  of  the  Poisoned  Food    -----  226 

Story  of  the  Brahman  and  the  Rescued  Snake          -  231 

THE  ROSE  OF  BAKAWALI. 

Proem  ----------        237 

Chapter  I. 

The  Astrologers'  prediction  at  the  birth  of  our  hero 
— His  Father  is  struck  with  blindness — His  four 
Brothers  set  out  in  quest  of  the  Rose  of  Baka- 
wali,  to  restore  their  Father's  sight — He  secretly 
follows  them — They  fall  into  the  toils  of  Dilbar, 
an  artful  courtesan,  who  fleeces  them  and  makes 
them  prisoners  ..--..         240 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter  II. 

The  Prince  determines  to  rescue  his  Brethren — He 
takes  sen'ice  with  a  nobleman,  and  makes  friends 
with  Dilbar's  confidante,  by  whose  instructions 
he  turns  the  tables  on  Dilbar,  and  wins  all  her 
wealth  and  her  own  person — He  tells  Dilbar  of 
his  design  to  obtain  the  Rose  of  Bakawali,  and 
she  Warns  him  of  the  dangers  he  must  encounter 
— He  relates  the  Story  of  the  Brd/unan  and  the 
Lion — Dilbar  exhorts  our  hero  before  his  depar- 
ture          247 

Chapter  III. 

Showing  how  the  Prince  is  helped  in  his  quest  by  a 
friendly  Demon — Marries  Mahmiida,  a  beauti- 
ful girl — Reaches  the  Garden  of  Bakawali  and 
plucks  the  Rose  —  Seeing  the  Fairy  Bakawali 
asleep,  falls  in  love  with  her — Returns  with 
Mahmiida  and  rejoins  Dilbar,  who  liberates  his 
Brethren,  before  the  three  set  out  for  his  own 
countrj' — On  the  way  he  is  deprived  of  the  Rose 
by  his  Brethren,  who  return  home,  and  by  means 
of  the  Flower  restore  their  Father's  sight  -         259 

Chapter  IV. 

Bakawali,  on  awaking,  discovers  that  her  Rose  has 
been  stolen,  sets  out  in  search  of  the  thief  dis- 
guised as  a  man,  and  takes  service  with  the 
Prince's  Father,  the  King  of  the  East — The 
Fairies  build  a  grand  Palace  for  the  Prince, 
like  that  of  Bakawali — The  King  hears  of  the 
new  Palace — Story  of  the  Princess  and  the 
Demon   who   exchanged  Sexes  —  The    Prince's 


CONTENTS. 


Father  and  Brethren,  with  Bakawali  (disguised), 
visit  him  at  his  Palace,  and  he  discloses  him- 
self   272 

Chapter  V. 

Bakawali  returns  to  her  own  country,  and  there 
writes  a  love-letter  to  the  Prince,  who  sets  out 
to  visit  her — The  Mother  of  Bakawali  discovers 
that  her  daughter  is  in  love  with  a  human  being, 
tosses  the  Prince  high  up  into  the  air,  and  im- 
prisons Bakawali — The  Prince  falls  into  a  river, 
emerges  from  it  in  safety,  obtains  several  magi- 
cal articles,  is  changed  into  a  young  woman, 
then  into  a  foul-visaged  Abyssinian,  and  finally 
regains  his  own  form        .         .         -         .         .         288 

Chapter  VI. 

The  Prince  comes  to  the  Castle  of  a  fierce  Demon 
called  Shah  Pykar,  where  he  finds  Riih-afza, 
cousin  of  Bakawali,  a  prisoner — He  rescues  her 
from  the  Demon  and  conveys  her  to  her  parents 
— He  obtains  Bakawali  in  Marriage  and  returns 
with  his  beauteous  Fairy  Bride  to  his  own  Palace         303 

Chapter  VH. 

Bakawali  goes  to  the  Court  of  Indra,  where  she  sings 
and  dances — The  Deity,  enraged  at  her  love  for 
a  human  being,  pronounces  a  curse  upon  her — 
The  Prince  goes  to  Ceylon,  where  he  finds  Baka- 
wali confined  in  a  Temple,  the  lower  part  of  her 
iDody  being  turned  into  marble — Chitrawat,  the 
daughter  of  the  Raja,  falls  in  love  with  him, 
and  on  his  declining  her  overtures  he  is  thrown 
into  prison       ..-.---         316 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter  VIII. 

The  Prince  is  married  to  Chitrawat,  Ijut,  visiting 
Bakawali  every  night,  his  new  bride  complains 
to  her  Father  of  his  indifference,  and  the  Raja 
sends  spies  to  dog  his  steps — The  Temple  is 
discovered  and  razed  to  the  ground,  and  the 
Prince  is  in  despair  -         .         .         .         .         329 

Chapter  IX. 

Bakawali  is  re-born  in  the  house  of  a  Farmer — When 
she  is  of  marriageable  age  the  Prince  and  Chit- 
rawat meet  her  and  they  all  three  proceed  to  his 
own  country,  where  he  is  welcomed  affection- 
ately by  Dilbar  and  Mahmuda — Bahram,  the 
son  of  Zayn  ul-Muluk's  Vazir,  falls  in  love  with 
Ruh-afza,  the  cousin  of  Bakawali      -         -         -         335 

Chapter  X. 

Bahram  is  long  love-sick,  but  by  the  help  of  two 
sympathising  fairy  damsels  is  finally  united  to 
the  beautiful  Ruh-afza,  and  all  ends  happily      -         343 

PERSIAN  STORIES. 

The  Three  Deceitful  Wo.mex         -        -        -  355 

Trick  of  the  Kazi's  Wife  -         .         .         .  358 

Trick  of  the  Bazar-Master's  Wife      -         -         -  376 

Trick  of  the  Kutwal's  Wife      -         -         -         .  384 

The  Envious  Vazir   ------  390 

The  Blind  Beggar 402 

The  Kazi   of  Ghazxi   and  the   Merchant's 

Wife -  414 

The  Independent  Max  and  his  Travellixc; 

Companions 425 

The  King  who  learned  a  Trade  -        -        -  434 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

The  Hidden  Treasure 442 

The  Deaf  Man  and  his  Sick  P'riend     -        -  446 

The  Gardener  and  the  Little  Bird     -        -  448 

APPENDIX. 

Ilatim  Tai  and  the  Benevolent  Lady       -         -         -  455 

Abstract  of  the  Romance  of  Platim  Tai    -         -  456 

The  Painter's  Story           -         -         -          -         -  471 

The  Washerman's  .Story  -----  476 

The  Blind  Man's  Story 477 

Story  of  Prince  Kasharkasha  -----  479 

Story  of  the  Unlucky  Shoayb  -         .          -          :         .  489 

History  of  Farrukhruz     -         -         -         -      ,  -         -  493 

The  Ungrateful  Brothers           -         .         .         .  493 

The  Three  Expeditions    -----  496 

The  Expedition  to  Paradise     -         -         .         -  500 

The  King  and  his  Four  Ministers    -         -         -         -  504 

Bengali  oral  Version       .-.--.  ^04 
Story  of  the  Woman  who  knew  the  Language 

of  Animals        ------  ^05 

Story  of  the  King  and  his  Faithful  Horse           -  507 

Story  of  the  Wonderful  Fruit   -         -         -          -  507 

Kashmiri  oral  Version     ------  507 

Story  of  the  Merchant  and  his  Faithful  Dog      -  509 
Story  of  the  Woman  who  knew  the  Language 

of  Animals 510 

Story  of  the  King  and  his  Falcon      -          -          -  510 

Story  of  the  Lost  Camel           -         -          -          -          -  511 

Story  of  the  Hunter  and  his  Faithful  Dog         -         -  513 

Story  of  the  Brahman's  Wife  and  the  Mungus           -  515 
Story  of  the  Faithless  Wife  and  the  Ungrateful  Blind 

Man -         -  516 

Story  of  the  Wonderful  Mango  Fruit        -          -          -  517 

Story  of  the  i'oisoncd  Food     -         .          .          .         .  jiS 


CONTENTS. 


Story  of  the  Brahman  and  the  Rescued  Snake           -  518 

The  Rose  of  Bakawali  -         -         -         -         -         -         -  519 

The  Magical  Flower 520 

The  Prince  and  Dilbar  playing  Backgammon  -         -  522 

The  Brahman  and  the  Lion 531 

The  Princess  and  the  Div  who  exchanged  Sexes       -  532 

The  Prince  obtains  a  Snake-Gem    -         -         -         -  540 

The  Prince  conceals  the  Snake-Gem  in  his  Thigh    -  541 

Bakawali  at  Indra's  Court       -         -          .          .          .  544 

Bahram  transformed  into  a  Bird      .         -         -         .  545 
Persian  Stories. 

The  Three  Deceitful  Women  -----  546 

The  Kazi  and  the  Merchant's  Wife          -         -         -  555 

The  Hidden  Treasure 558 

The  Deaf  Man  and  his  Sick  Friend          -         -         -  561 

The  Gardener  and  the  Fittle  Bird  -         -         -         -  563 

Additional  Notes,           -         -         -         -         -         -         -  568 

INDEX. 


INTRODUCTION. 


INTRODUCTION. 


MAN  has  been  variously  described  as  a  laughing, 
a  cooking,  and  a  clothes-wearing  animal,  for 
no  other  animal  laughs,  or  cooks,  or  wears  clothes. 
Perhaps  another  definition  might  be  added,  namely, 
that  he  is  a  story-telling  animal.  From  bleak  Greenland 
to  the  sunny  islands  that  be-gem  the  South  Pacific, 
there  seems  to  be  no  race  so  low  in  the  scale  of 
humanity  as  not  to  possess  a  store  of  legends  and  tales, 
which  take  their  colouring  from  the  ways  of  life  and 
the  habits  of  the  people  among  whom  they  are  found 
domiciled.  But  notwithstanding  the  very  considerable 
number  of  popular  tales  that  have  been  collected  from 
various  parts  of  the  world,  their  origin  and  general 
diffusion  are  still  involved  in  obscurity.  The  germs 
from  which  some  of  them  sprang  may  have  originated 
soon  after  men  became  sentient  beings.  It  is  possible, 
though  not  very  probable,  that  the  ideas  on  which  are 
based  the  more  simple  fictions  which  are  found  to  be 
similar — mutatis  mutandis — among  Non-Aryan  as  well 
as  Aryan  races  were  independently  conceived ;  but 
this  concession  does  not  apply  to  tales  and  stories  of 
more  elaborate  construction,  where  the  incidents  and 


INTRODUCTION. 


their  very  sequence  are  almost  identical — in  such  cases 
there  must  have  been  deliberate  appropriation  by  one 
people  from  another.  And  assuredly  not  a  few  of  the 
tales  which  became  orally  current  in  Europe  during 
the  middle  ages  through  the  preaching  monks  and  the 
merry  minstrels  were  directly  imported  from  the  East. 
But  even  when  a  tale  has  been  traced  through  different 
countries  till  it  is  discovered  in  a  book,  the  date  of 
which  is  known  to  be  at  least  200  B.C.,  it  does  not 
follow,  of  course,  that  the  author  of  the  book  where  it 
occurs  was  the  actual  inventor  of  it.  Men  are  much 
more  imitative  than  inventive,  and  there  is  every  reason 
to  believe  that  the  Buddhists  and  the  Brahmans  alike 
simply  adapted  for  their  own  purposes  stories  and 
apologues  which  had  for  ages  upon  ages  been  common 
to  the  whole  world.  All  that  is  now  maintained  by 
the  so-called  "  Benfey  school "  is  that  many  of  the 
Western  popular  tales  current  orally,  as  well  as  existing 
in  a  literary  form,  during  the  mediaeval  times  which 
are  found  in  old  Indian  books  reached  Europe  from 
Syria,  having  travelled  thither  from  India  through 
Persia  and  Arabia,  and  that  this  importation  of  Eastern 
fictions  had  been  going  on  long  before  the  first  crusades. 

Whatever  our  modern  European  authors  may  do  in 
the  production  of  their  novels  (the  novel  has  no  exist- 
ence in  the  East),  it  is  certain  that  Asiatic  writers  do 
not  attempt  the  invention  of  new  "  situations  "  and 
incidents.     They  have  all  along  been  content  to  use 


EASTERN  STORY-TELLERS. 


such  materials  as  came  ready  to  hand,  both  by  taking 
stories  out  of  other  books,  and  dressing  them  up 
according  to  their  own  taste  and  fancy,  and  by  writing 
down  tales  which  they  had  heard  publicly  or  privately 
recited.^  Indeed  they  usually  mention  quite  frankly  in 
the  prefaces  to  their  books  from  whence  they  derived 
their  materials.  Thus,  Somadeva  tells  us  that  his  Kathd 
Sarit  Sdgara  (Ocean  of  the  Streams  of  Story),  of  the 
nth  century,  is  wholly  derived  from  a  very  much  older 

1  Story-telling  has  been  quite  an  art  in  the  East  time  out  of 
mind.  Mrs.  Meer  Hasan  Ali,  in  her  Observations  on  the  Mussul- 
mans of  India,  vol.  ii,  pp.  8i,  82,  says:  "Many  of  the  ladies 
entertain  women  companions,  whose  chief  lousiness  is  to  tell  stories 
and  fables  to  their  employer  when  she  is  composing  herself  to 
sleep.  When  the  lady  is  fairly  asleep  the  story  is  stayed,  and 
the  companion  resumes  her  employment  when  the  next  nap  is 
sought  by  her  mistress.  Among  the  higher  classes  the  males 
also  indulge  in  the  same  practice  of  being  talked  to  sleep  by  their 
men  slaves,  and  it  is  a  certain  introduction,  with  either  sex,  to  the 
favour  of  their  employer  when  one  of  these  dependants  has 
acquired  the  happy  art  of  'telling  the  khanie'  (fable)  with  an 
agreeable  voice  and  manner.  The  more  they  embellish  a  tale  by 
flights  of  their  versatile  imaginations,  so  much  the  greater  the 
merit  of  the  rehearser  in  the  opinion  of  the  listeners." — In  the 
Book  of  Esther,  ch.  vi,  i,  we  read  that  on  a  certain  night 
"  could  not  the  king  sleep,  and  he  commanded  to  bring  the  book 
of  the  records  of  the  chronicles,  and  they  were  read  before  the 
king."  Well  was  it  for  the  Hebrew  bondsmen  that  Ahasuerus 
did  not  call  for  a  story-teller  instead  of  the  "  state  journal  "  ! — 
The  practice  of  sleepless  khalifs  and  sultans  sending  for  story- 
tellers is  referred  to  in  many  Eastern  tales.  For  an  account 
of  public  reciters  of  tales  and  romances  see  Lane's  Modern 
Egyptians. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Sanskrit  work,  of  the  6th  century,  the  Vrihat  Kathd 
(Great  Story),  of  Gunadhya  ;  and  Nakhshabi  states  that 
his  Tuti  Ndma  (Parrot  Book)  is  chiefly  an  abridg- 
ment, in  more  elegant  language,  of  an  older  Persian 
work  composed  in  a  prolix  style,  which  was  translated 
from  a  book  "originally  written  in  the  Indian  tongue." 
So  we  need  not  expect  to  find  much  originality  in 
later  Eastern  collections,^  though  they  are  of  special 
interest  to  students  of  the  genealogy  of  popular  tales 
in  so  far  as  they  contain  incidents,  and  even  entire 
stories  and  fables,  out  of  ancient  books  now  lost,  which 
have  their  parallels  and  analogues  in  European  folk- 
lore. 

The  first  two  romances  in  the  present  work  form  the 
third  bdb^  or  chapter,  of  a  Persian  collection  of  moral 
tales  and  anecdotes  entitled  Mahbub  ul-Kalub,  or  the 
Delight  of  Hearts,  written  by  Barkhurdar  bin  Mahmud 
Turkman  Farahi,  surnamed  Mumtaz,  concerning  whom 
all  that  is  known  is  given  by  himself  in  what  Dr.  Rieu 
terms  "  a  diffuse  preface,  written  in  a  stilted  and  am- 

1  But  are  even  the  best  novels  of  these  days  of  grace  marked  by 
very  much  "  originality  "  ?  Do  not  prolific  novelists  repeat  them- 
selves? Have  they  not,  for  the  most  part,  a  limited  set  of 
characters,  which  reappear  in  each  succeeding  novel  ?  In  short, 
may  it  not  be  truly  said  of  them,  as  Burton  (not  he  of  T/ie  Nights, 
but  he  of  The  Melancholy)  says  of  authors  in  general :  ' '  They 
weave  the  same  web,  twist  and  untwist  the  same  rope,  and 
make  new  books  as  apothecaries  make  new  mixtures,  by  pouring 
out  of  one  vessel  into  another  "  ? 


THE  MAHBUB    UL-KALUB. 


bitious  style."  In  early  life^  he  quitted  his  native 
place,  Farah,  for  Marv  Shahijan,  where  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  governor,  Asian  Khan,  and  two  years 
afterwards  he  proceeded  to  Ispahan  and  became  sec- 
retary to  Hasan  Kuli  Khan  Shamlii  :  both  amirs 
flourished  during  the  reign  of  Shah  Sultan  Husain. 
A.H.  1 1 05-1 135  (a.d.  1 693-1 7 2 2).  x\t  Ispahan  he 
heard  in  an  assembly  a  pleasing  tale,  which,  at  the 
request  of  his  friends,  he  "adorned  with  the  flowers 
of  rhetoric,"  under  the  title  of  Hikdydt-i  Ra'nd  u  Zibd. 
In  course  of  time  he  added  other  stories,  until  he  had 
made  a  large  collection,  comprising  no  fewer  than  four 
hundred  tales  and  anecdotes,  divided  into  an  introduc- 
tion, eight  bdbs,  and  a  khdtimak,  or  conclusion,  and 
he  entitled  the  work  Mahfil-drd- — '  Adorner  of  the 
Assembly.'  After  a  visit  to  his  native  place,  he  went 
to  Herat,  where  he  remained  for  some  time,  and  thence 
he  set  out  on  a  pilgrimage  to  the  shrine  at  i^Iashad. 
But  on  his  way  he  was  attacked  by  a  band  of  Kuzzaks 
in  the  desert,  who  robbed  him  of  everything,  including 
the  precious  manuscript  of  his  Mahfil-drd.     Returning 

1  The  following  particulars  regarding  the  author  and  his  work 
are  derived  from  Dr.  Charles  Rieu's  Catalogue  of  the  Persian 
Manitscripts  in  the  British  Museum,  vol.  ii,  pp.  767-8,  Add. 
7619,  and  Or.  1370;  and  from  Mr.  F.  F.  Arbuthnot's  useful 
and  interesting  little  work,  Persian  Po7-traits:  a  Sketch  of  Persian 
History,  Literature,  and  Politics  (London:  Quaritch),  p.  119. 
The  title  of  Shanisah  t'c  Kahkahah,  under  which  Mr.  Arbuthnot 
describes  this  collection,  is  taken  from  the  names  of  a  Witch 
and  a  Vazir  who  figure  in  the  second  hah. 


INTRO  D  UCTION. 


to  Ispahan,  it  may  be  presumed,  though  he  does 
not  specify  "  the  place  of  security,"  he  re-wrote  from 
memory  his  collection  of  tales,  dividing  the  work 
into  an  introduction,  five  bdbs^  and  a  khdtimah. 
The  work  is  formed  on  the  plan  of  the  Gulisfdn,  or 
Rose- Garden,  of  the  illustrious  Persian  poet  Sa'di, 
each  section  being  devoted  to  the  exemplification  of 
a  special  subject  or  theme.  The  introduction  com- 
prises dissertations 

(i)  On  the  necessity  of  Politeness  ; 

(2)  On  the  behaviour  of  a  householder,  so  as  to  obtain 

for  himself  happiness  in  this  world  and  the  next  ; 

(3)  On  the  Education  of  Children  ; 

(4)  On  the  advantages  of  following  a  Trade  or  Profession  ; 

(5)  On  Hospitality ; 

(6)  On  gratitude  for  the  benefits  received  from  God. 

Then  follow  Five  Chapters  : 

I — On    Civility,    Humility,    and  Modesty,   the  virtues 
on  which  amicable  intercourse  with  all  conditions 
of  men  is  based. 
II — On  Good  Manners   and   abstention   from    injuring 

others  by  word  or  deed. 
Ill — On  Equanimity  in   Prosperity  and  Adversity,  and 

Resignation  to  the  will  of  God  in  all  things. 
IV — On    Friendship,    or    Association  :    the    choice    of 
a   suitable   Companion,   and    the   rejection   of  an 
uncongenial  or  base  one. 
V — On  the  Advantages  of  Contentment  and  the  Mean- 
ness of  Envy  and  Covetousness. 
Conclusion  :  Story  of  Ra'na  and  Ziba. 
The  Persian  text  of  this  large  collection  of  Tales 
was  printed  at  Bombay  in  1852.     There  are  two  MS. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 


copies  in  the  British  Museum,  one  of  which  is  de- 
scribed by  Dr.  Rieu  as  being  embelHshed  with  two 
'unvdns,  or  ornamental  head-pieces,  gold-ruled  margins, 
and  55  miniatures  in  the  Persian  style. 

In  1870  Mr.  Edward  RehatsekpubUshed,at  Bombay, 
a  translation  of  the  two  Tales  contained  in  the  third 
chapter  of  the  Mahbub  ul-Kalub  under  the  title  of 
Fortune  and  Misfortune,  which  are  reproduced  in  the 
present  volume  as  the  History  of  Nassar  (properly 
Nasir)  and  the  History  of  Farrukhruz,  the  Tales  being 
quite  distinct  from  each  other. 

I — In  the  History  of  Nassar,  son  of  the  Mer- 
chant of  Baghdad,  the  motif  is  that  Fate,  or  Destiny, 
is  paramount  in  all  human  affairs,  and  so  long  as 
Fortune  frowns  all  the  efforts  of  men  to  better  their 
condition  are  utterly  futile :  an  essentially  Asiatic 
notion,  and  quite  foreign  to  the  sentiments  of  the 
more  manly  and  self-relying  Western  races.  It  must 
be  allowed,  however,  that  there  seems  to  be  a  mys- 
terious factor  in  human  life  which  we  call  "  luck,'" 
against  which  it  were  vain  to  struggle ; — only  it 
is  seldom  to  be  recognised  until  it  has  worked  out 
its  purpose  !  How,  for  example,  are  we  to  account 
for  a  soldier  escaping  uninjured  after  taking  an  active 
part  in  many  battles,  while  his  comrade  by  his  side  is 
shot  dead  at  the  first  fire  of  the  enemy  ?  There  are 
certainly  lucky  and  unlucky  men  who  have  done  little 
or  nothing  to  bring  about  their  own  good  or  ill  for- 


INTR  OD  UCTION. 


tune.  "  Fate,"  says  Uefoe,  "  makes  footballs  of  men  : 
kicks  some  upstairs  and  some  down.  Some  are  ad- 
vanced without  honour,  and  others  are  suppressed 
without  infamy.  Some  are  raised  without  merit ;  some 
are  crushed  without  crime.  And  no  man  knows, 
by  the  beginning  of  things,  whether  his  course  will 
end  in  a  peerage  or  a  pillory."  And  a  Persian  poet 
chants  in  melancholy  strain  : 

Strive  not  to  grapple  with  the  grasp  of  Fate  ; 

Canst  thou  with  feebleness  success  combine  ? 
All  vain,  'gainst  Destiny  thy  watchful  state  ; 

Go  thou,  and  to  its  force  thyself  resign. 

But  the  Bard  of  Rydal  Mount — the  Christian  Philo- 
sopher, whose  grand  poetry  is  out  of  vogue  in  these 
*' double-distilled"  days — tells  us  that 
One  adequate  support 
For  the  calamities  of  mortal  life 
Exists — one  only :  an  assured  belief 
That  the  procession  of  our  fate,  howe'er 
Sad  or  disturbed,  is  ordered  by  a  Being 
Of  infinite  benevolence  and  power  ; 
Whose  everlasting  purposes  embrace 
All  accidents,  converting  them  to  good. 
And  it  may  be   safely  asserted  that  no  great  things 
were  ever  done  by  any  man  whose  actions  were  con- 
trolled by  a  belief  in  mere  "luck."    The  great  American 
poet  lustily  sings  : 

Let  us  then  be  up  and  doing, 
With  a  heart  for  any  fate  ; 
Still  achieving,  still  pursuing. 
Learn  to  labour  and  to  wait. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


The  Sinhalese  have  a  number  of  proverbs  about 
"  luck "  which  might  very  suitably  serve  as  mottoes 
for  the  Tale  of  Nasir  and  the  subordinate  stories 
of  Mansur  and  of  Shoayb ;  for  instance,  they  say  : 
'"It  hails  whenever  an  unlucky  man  goes  abroad": 
and  again  :  "  Even  if  the  unlucky  man  have  a  gold 
coin  in  his  purse,  he  is  sure  to  be  accused  of  having 
stolen  it."  In  the  tale  of  Prince  Kasharkasha,  when 
the  ruined  merchant  comes  to  the  young  king  whom 
he  had  formerly  befriended,  he  is  dismissed  with  a 
small  sum  of  money,  the  king  fearing  lest  his  old 
friend's  ill-luck  should  also  affect  him  :  an  idea  which 
is  constantly  cropping  up  in  Asiatic  stories ;  though, 
by  the  way,  it  does  not  appear  that  the  worthy  mer- 
chant had  himself  any  such  fear  when  he  so  generously 
relieved  the  prince  from  his  bitter  distress. 

It  can  hardly  be  said  that  the  "  moral "  to  be  drawn 
from  the  career  of  Nasir  is  a  very  elevating  one.  The 
three  pieces  of  wholesome  advice  bestowed  on  him  by 
his  father's  ancient  friend,  and  enforced  with  such 
appropriate  stories,  did  the  young  traveller  little  good; 
for  we  find  him  go  on  blundering  out  of  one  scrape 
into  another,  until  his  "  lucky  star "  is  once  more  in 
the  ascendant.  And  in  the  case  of  poor  Mansur, 
though  he  does  ultimately  attain  wealth  and  ease 
through  his  own  exertions,  yet  he  was  in  the  first 
instance  indebted  to  sheer  luck  in  discovering  a  treas- 
ure-crock in.  an  old  ruin.  From  one  point  of  view, 
there  is   droll   humour  in   some  of  the  incidents   in 


INTRODUCTION. 


these  tales,  more  especially  in  Nasir's  unlucky  exhi- 
bitions of  his  accomplishments  before  the  king ;  and 
in  the  narrative  of  the  misfortunes  of  poor  Shoayb, 
whom  another  king  strove  so  persistently  to  benefit, 
disregarding  the  counsel  of  his  prime  minister  and 
setting  at  defiance  the  evident  decree  of  Fate ; — 
though  one  cannot  help  regretting  that  he  should 
have  been  expelled  from  the  country  after  all  he  had 
suffered.  Let  us  believe  that  ere  long  his  "run  of 
ill-luck  "  came  to  an  end  I 

II— The  History  of  Farrukhruz  may  be  con- 
sidered as  exemplifying  the  Sinhalese  proverb  which 
asserts  that  "  the  teeth  of  the  dog  that  barks  at  the 
lucky  man  will  fall  out;"  for  did  not  all  the  vile 
schemes  of  the  envious  vazi'rs,  to  compass  the  death 
of  this  Favourite  of  Fortune,  turn  to  his  advantage 
and  finally  to  their  own  well-merited  destruction  ? 
True,  he  was  very  near  losing  his  good  fortune  when 
he  parted  with  the  talismanic  ring,  and,  by  the  art 
magic  of  Kashank  the  Tfrit,  was  changed  to  an  old 
barber  in  Damascus  ;  but  here  again  have  we  not  an 
illustration  of  another  Sinhalese  proverb  which  says 
that  "you  cannot  even  kick  away  good  luck"?  In 
this  spirited  little  romance  the  interest  is  well  sus- 
tained throughout,  and  the  scene  in  Damascus  will, 
I  think,  favourably  compare  with  some  of  the  facetious 
tales  in  the  Arabian  Nights.  Variants  and  analogues 
of  the  principal  incidents  are  given  in  the  Appendix. 


THE  KING  AND   HIS  MINISTERS.  xxix 

III — The  King  and  his  Four  Ministers,  which 
is  now  for  the  first  time  presented  in  EngHsh,  has  been 
translated  from  the  Tamil,  at  my  suggestion,  by  my 
friend  Pandit  S.  M.  Natesa  Sastri,  of  Madras,  who 
is  already  known  in  this  country  to  students  of  the 
migrations  of  popular  tales  from  his  Folk-Lore  iti 
Southern  India,  published  at  Bombay,  and  his  trans- 
lation of  another  Tamil  romance,  Aladanakdmardjati- 
kadai,  under  the  title  of  Dravidian  Nights  Entertain- 
?}ients,  published  at  Madras  :  London  agents  for  both 
works,  Messrs.  Trlibner  <Sc  Co.  The  Tamil  title  is 
Alakesa  Kathd,  or  Story  of  (King)  Alakesa,  and  a 
short  but  not  quite  accurate  account  of  it  is  given 
by  Dr.  H.  H.  Wilson  in  his  most  valuable  Descrip- 
tive Catalogue  of  the  Oriental  MSS.  etc.  in  the  Alac- 
kenzie  Collection.,  published  at  Calcutta,  1828,  vol.  i, 
p.  220.  Dr.  Wilson  describes  the  work  as  "a  story 
of  the  raja  of  Alakapiir  and  his  four  ministers,  who, 
being  falsely  accused  of  violating  the  sanctity  of  the 
inner  apartments,  vindicate  their  innocence  and  dis- 
arm the  king's  wrath  by  narrating  a  number  of 
stories."  It  is,  however,  only  one  of  the  ministers 
who  is  believed  by  the  raja  and  the  rc4ni  to  have  thus 
offended,  and  his  three  colleagues  successively  urge 
the  raja  to  inquire  into  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
affair  before  proceeding  to  punish  him,  and  they  support 
their  arguments  with  Tales  showing  the  deplorable  evils 
which  may  result  from  inconsiderate  actions.  An  aged 
minister  of  the  raja's  father  then  comes  before  the  king 


INTRODUCTION. 


and  relates  a  story  to  the  same  purpose,  and  he  is 
followed  by  the  accused  minister,  who  also  tells  a  story 
as  a  warning  against  hasty  decisions,  after  which  he  not 
only  makes  his  innocence  manifest,  but  shows  how 
he  had  saved  the  raja  and  his  spouse  from  a  terrible 
fatality.  1 

In  the  Appendix  of  the  present  work  will  be  found 
abstracts  of  Bengali  and  Kashmiri  oral  variants  of  this 
Tale,  the  frame  of  which  was  evidently  suggested  by 
that  of  the  Book  of  Sindibad,  of  which  the  numerous 
European  versions  are  commonly  known  under  the 
title  of  the  History  of  the  Seven  Wise  Masters  of  Rome, 

1  There  is  another,  but  wholly  different,  Tamil  tale,  with  the 
same  title,  which  is  described  in  Taylor's  Catalogue  Raisontii  of 
Oriental  Manuscripts  in  tlie  Government  Library,  Madras,  vol. 
iii,  page  460  :  "  A  king's  daughter  forms  an  attachment  at  first 
sight  to  the  stupid  son  of  another  king,  who  cannot  read  the 
writing  which  she  conveys  to  him,  but  shows  it  to  a  diseased 
wretch,  who  tells  him  it  warns  him  to  flee  for  his  life.  The 
king's  daughter  is  imposed  upon  by  the  leper,  kills  herself,  and 
becomes  a  disembodied  evil  spirit,  haunting  a  choultry  (or  serai 
for  travellers),  whom  during  the  night,  if  they  do  not  answer 
aright  to  her  cries,  she  strangles,  and  vampyre-like  sucks  their 
blood."  To  be  brief,  the  famous  Tamil  poetess  Avaiyar  gets 
leave  of  the  people  to  sleep  in  the  choultry  in  order  to  put  an 
end  to  this  calamity,  and  having  three  times  composed  a  recon- 
dite stanza  from  the  strange  cries,  the  evil  spirit  owns  herself 
conquered  and  departs.  She  is  re-born  as  an  exceedingly  clever 
princess,  and  tests  the  learning  and  poetical  skill  of  her  suitors, 
till  at  last  she  is  won  by  a  poor  student. — It  will  be  readily 
supposed  that  the  chief  merit  of  this  story  consists  in  the  poetical 
contests. 


THE  KING  AND  HIS  MINISTERS.  xxxi 

where  a  young  prince  is  falsely  accused,  as  Joseph  was 
by  the  wife  of  Potiphar,  and  his  father  the  king  orders 
him  to  be  put  to  death ;  but  he  alternately  reprieves 
and  condemns  him  during  seven  days,  in  consequence 
of  his  Seven  Vazi'rs,  day  after  day,  and  the  Lady,  night 
after  night,  relating  to  the  king  stories  of  the  wicked- 
ness of  women  and  of  the  depravity  of  men,  till  at 
length  the  innocence  of  the  prince  is"  proved,  and 
the  wanton,  treacherous  lady  is  duly  punished. — The 
leading  tale  of  the  Turkish  History  of  the  Forty  Vazirs 
(which  has  been  completely  translated  into  English  by 
Mr.  E.  J.  W.  Gibb ;  London :  Mr.  George  Redway)  is 
on  the  same  plan,  though  the  stories  related  by  the 
Vazirs  and  the  Lady  are  almost  all  different. 

To  the  sporadic  part  of  the  great  Sindibad  family 
of  romances  belongs  also  the  Persian  work  entitled 
Bakhtydr  Ndma,  in  which  a  stranger  youth  becomes 
the  king's  favourite  and  is  raised  to  a  position  of  great 
honour  and  dignity,  which  excites  the  envy  of  the 
king's  Ten  Vazirs,  who  cause  him  to'  be  accused  of 
violating  the  royal  haram,  and  the  young  man  is  re- 
prieved from  day  to  day  through  his  relating  eloquently 
stories  showing  the  lamentable  consequences  of  preci- 
pitation, and  he  is  ultimately  found  to  be  guiltless,  and, 
moreover,  to  be  the  king's  own  son,  whom  he  and  his 
queen  had  abandoned  in  a  desert  when  newly  born, 
as  they  were  flying  for  their  lives. — Another  group  of. 
tales  pertaining  to  the  same  cycle  is  found  in  the 
Breslau  printed  Arabic  text  of  the  Alf  Layla  wa  Lay  la 


INTRODUCTION. 


(Thousand  and  One  Nights),  under  the  title  of  "  King 
Shah  Bakht  and  his  Vazir  Er-Rahwan,"  where  the 
king  is  induced  by  the  machinations  of  some  of  his 
courtiers  to  beHeve  that  his  favourite  minister  Er- 
Rahwan  should  slay  him  within  twenty-eight  days ; 
and  the  Vazir,  being  condemned  to  death,  obtains  a 
respite  by  relating  to  the  king  each  night  an  interesting 
story  until  the  supposed  fatal  period  is  past,  when  the 
king  is  convinced  of  his  fidelity.^ 

Neither  the  name  of  the  author  nor  the  date  of  the 
Alakesa  Kathd  is  known,  but  it  is  supposed  to  have 
been  written  in  the  i6th  century.  It  is  one  of  the 
very  few  Asiatic  collections  in  which  the  tales  are  all 
unobjectionable,  and  while  these  are  found  in  much 
older  Indian  story-books,  they  present  some  curious 
variations,  and  are  moreover  of  considerable  interest 
as  illustrating  Hindu  popular  beliefs  and  superstitions. 

1  The  stories  related  to  the  king  by  Prince  Bakhtyar,  though 
calculated  to  caution  him  against  rash  judgments,  have  nothing 
in  common  with  those  contained  in  the  Book  of  Sindibad  ;  while 
the  tales  told  by  Er-Rahwan  (which  have  been  translated  by 
Sir  Richard  F.  Burton,  and  included  in  the  first  volume  of  his 
Supplemental  Nights)  are  of  a  miscellaneous  character — grave 
and  gay,  wise  and  witty — his  sole  object  being  to  prolong  his 
life  by  thus  amusing  the  king.  The  Vazir's  recitals  are  of  con- 
siderable importance  to  "  storiologists " :  we  find  among  them 
analogues  of  Chaucer's  Man  of  Law's  Tale,  Pardoner's  Tale,  and 
Merchant's  Tale,  and  of  the  well-known  legend  of  St.  Eustache 
(or  Placidus),  which  occurs  in  the  Gesta  Romanorum,  and  from 
which  the  mediaeval  metrical  romances  of  Sir  Isumhras,  Octavian, 
Sir  Eglamour,  and  Sir  Torrent  of  Portugal  vi ere  derived. 


1 


THE  KING  AND  HIS  MINISTERS.         xxxiii 

As  European  mediccval  writers  were  in  the  habit  of 
piously  prefixing  the  sign  of  the  cross  to  their  com- 
positions, and  Muhammedan  authors  invariably  begin 
their  books  with  the  formula,  "In  the  Name  of  God,  <^  -iJO-vvl^^ 

the  most  Merciful,  the  most  Compassionate,"  so  Hindu 
writers  always  commence  by  invoking  the  assistance  of 
Ganesa,  the  god  of  wisdom.  Accordingly  the  Alakesa 
Kathd  opens  thus:  "Before  relating  in  Tamil  the  story 
of  the  Four  Ministers,  which  is  admired  by  the  whole 
world,  O  Mind  !  adore  and  serve  him  who  is  the  elder 
of  the  trident-armed  and  the  remover  of  obstacles  " — 
that  is,  Ganesa,  who  is  said  to  be  the  son  of  Siva  and 
his  spouse  Parvati,  or  of  the  latter  only.  Ganesa  is 
represented  as  having  the  head  of  an  elephant,  which 
was  perhaps  originally  a  symbol  of  his  sagacity,  but  is 
accounted  for  in  one  of  the  later  legends  regarding 
this  deity  as  follows :  The  goddess  Parvati  wished  to 
take  a  bath  one  day  in  her  mansion,  Kailasa,  during 
the  absence  of  her  lord,  Siva.  Her  female  attendants 
were  engaged  in  some  domestic  duties,  but  she  must 
have  her  bath,  and  there  must  be  a  servant  to  guard 
the  door.  So  Parvati  rubbed  her  body  with  her  hands, 
and  of  the  scurf  created  a  man,  whom  she  ordered  to 
watch  outside  the  door,  and  allow  no  one  to  enter.  It 
so  happened  that  Siva  returned  before  his  spouse  had 
finished  bathing,  and  he  was  opposed  by  the  newly- 
formed  man,  whose  head  he  immediately  struck  off,  and 
then  he  entered  the  bath-room.  This  intrusion  Par- 
vati regarded  as  a   very  great  insult,  and  when  she 


INTRODUCTION. 


learned  that  her  guard  at  the  door  was  slain  her  rage 
knew  no  bounds.  She  demanded  that  her  first  son, 
as  she  termed  him,  should  be  restored  to  life,  and 
Siva,  vexed  at  his  rashness,  told  his  ganas  (armies  of 
dwarfs  :  troops  of  celestials)  to  search  for  him  who  slept 
with  his  head  to  the  north,  to  kill  him,  and  place  his 
head  on  the  neck  of  the  murdered  guard.  The  ganas, 
after  wandering  long  and  far,  found  only  an  elephant 
asleep  in  that  position,  so  they  brought  his  head  and 
fixed  it  on  the  neck  of  the  man  whom  Siva  had  slain, 
when,  lo  !  he  at  once  rose  up  alive,  a  man  in  body, 
with  the  head  of  an  elephant.  Siva  then  appointed 
him  lord  of  his  ganas  ( Ganesa)  and  adopted  him  as 
his  son. — This  curious  legend  is  the  cause  of  all 
Hindus  never  sleeping  with  their  heads  to  the  north. 
Ganesa  is  said  to  have  written  down  the  Mahdbhdrata 
from  the  dictation  of  Vyasa,  the  reputed  author  of 
that  epic.  He  is  represented  with  four  hands,  in  one 
of  which  he  holds  a  shell,  in  another  a  discus,  in  the 
third  a  trident,  or  club,  and  in  the  fourth  a  water-lily.^ 

1  The  Tamil  text  of  The  King  and  his  Four  Ministers 
has  been  printed.  Through  the  kindness  of  the  Pandit,  I  possess 
two  copies,  of  different  dates,  one  of  which,  printed  in  1887, 
has,  by  way  of  frontispiece,  four  figures,  in  profile,  like  those  in 
Egyptian  paintings,  all  looking  in  the  same  direction,  with  their 
hands  raised  and  the  palms  joined,  in  respect  to  the  prayer  to 
Ganesa,  which  is  on  the  opposite  page.  The  first  is  the  minister ; 
the  second  is  the  king,  with  a  crown  not  unlike  the  Pope's  tiara, 
and  a  sword  on  his  shoulder  ;  the  third  and  fourth  are  devotees, 
whose  clothing  is  rather  scanty. 


THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAIVALI. 


IV — The  Rose  of  Bakawali  was  originally  written, 
in  the  Persian  language,  by  Shaykh  Izzat  Ullah,  of 
Bengal,  in  the  year  of  the  Hijra  1124,  or  a.d.  1712. 
It  was  translated  into  Urdu  in  the  beginning  of  the 
present  century,  by  Nihal  Chand,  a  native  of  Delhi, 
but,  from  his  residence  in  Lahore,  surnamed  Lahori. 
He  entitled  his  version  of  the  romance  Alazhab-i 
'Ishk,  which  signifies  the  Doctrine  of  Love ;  but  when 
the  Urdu  text  was  first  printed,  under  the  care  of  Dr. 
Gilchrist,  at  Calcutta,  in  1804,  it  bore  the  original 
Persian  title,  Gul-i  Bakawali ;  the  second  edition, 
published  in  18 14,  by  T.  Roebuck,  bears  the  Urdu 
title. 

M.  Garcin  de  Tassy  published  an  abridgment  (in 
French)  of  the  Urdii  version  of  the  Rose  of  Baka- 
wali in  the  Jourfial  Asiatique,  vol.  xvi,  1835,  omitting 
the  snatches  of  verse  with  which  the  author  has  libe- 
rally garnished  his  narrative.^  A  complete  English 
translation,  with  the  verses  done  into  prose,  by  Lieut. 
R.  P.  Anderson,  was  published  at  Delhi  in  1851,  and 
the  Urdu  version  was  again  rendered  into  English, 
with  the  poetry  done  into  tolerably  fair  verse,  by 
Thomas  Philip  Manuel,  and  published  at  Calcutta 
in  1859.  For  the  version  in  the  present  work  I  have 
used    both    G.    de   Tassy's   French   abridgment   and 

1  "Abrege  du  roman  hindoustani  intitule  la  Rose  de  Bakawali, 
par  M.  le  professeur  Garcin  de  Tassy  " :  in  Noiiveau  Joii7-7ial 
Asiatiqiic,  tome  xvi,  p.  iQjff.  and  p.  338ff.  This  has  been  re- 
printed along  with  other  translations  by  the  learned  Professor. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Manuel's  English  translation,  following  the  former 
when  the  narrative  seemed  to  be  rather  prolix,  and 
the  latter  when  I  found  the  French  savant  too  brief 
in  specially  interesting  episodes,  thus,  I  trust,  making 
a  readable  version  of  this  charming  romance. 

In  the  Appendix  will  be  found  copious  parallels, 
analogues,  and  illustrations  of  the  chief^ncidents  in 
the  Rose  of  Bakawali,  which  therefore  calls  for  only 
a  few  general  remarks  in  this  place.  It  cannot  be  said 
that  there  is  much  originality  in  the  romance,  most  of 
the  incidents  being  common  to  the  folk-tales  of  the 
several  countries  of  India,  but  they  are  here  woven 
together  with  considerable  ingenuity,  and  the  interest 
of  the  narrative  never  flags.  It  may  in  fact  be  re- 
garded as  a  typical  Asiatic  Tale,  in  which  is  embodied 
much  of  the  folk-lore  of  the  East.  Like  all  fairy  tales, 
it  has  no  particular  "  moral,"  for  the  hero  achieves  all 
his  wonderful  enterprises  with  the  aid  of  super-human 
beings  and  by  means  of  magical  fruits,  etc.  The 
various  and  strange  transformations  which  he  under- 
goes in  the  course  of  his  adventures  are  still  believed 
to  be  quite  possible  by  Muslims  and  Hindus  alike. 
We  very  frequently  read  in  Eastern  tales  of  fountains 
the  waters  of  which  have  the  property  of  changing  a 
man  who  drinks  of  them  or  bathes  in  them  into 
a  woman,  and  of  transforming  a  monkey  into  a  man, 
and  vice  versa.  But  this  romance  is,  I  think,  singular 
in  representing  the  hero,  after  having  been  changed 
into  a  young  woman,  as  actually  becoming  a  mother  ! 


THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 


In  the  account  of  his  transformation  to  an  Abyssinian, 
and  beset  by  a  shrewish  wife  and  a  pack  of  clamorous 
children,  there  is  not  a  little  humour.  The  magical 
things  which  he  obtains  through  overhearing  the  con- 
versation of  birds  are  familiar  to  the  folk-tales  of 
Europe  as  well  as  to  those  of  Asia,  and  I  have  treated 
of  them  fully  in  the  first  volume  of  my  Popular  Tales 
and  Fictions. 

We  must  regard  the  first  part  of  this  romance — 
down  to  the  end  of  the  third  chapter — as  belonging 
to  the  wide  cycle  of  folk-tales  in  which  a  number  of 
brothers  set  out  in  quest  of  some  wonderful  and  much 
desired  object,  and  the  youngest  is  always  the  suc- 
cessful one  ;  but  he  is  deprived  of  the  prize  by  his 
envious  and  malicious  brothers,  who  generally  throw 
him  into  a  well,  and  returning  home  claim  the  credit 
of  the  achievement.  In  the  end,  however,  the  young 
hero  exposes  the  fraud,  and  his  rascally  and  cowardly 
brethren  are  put  to  shame.  Several  of  the  incidents  in 
the  brothers'  quest  of  the  magical  Rose  with  which  to 
cure  their  father's  sight  are  paralleled  in  the  story  of 
the  ^^"ater  of  Life,  in  Grimm's  Kinder  und  Haus- 
nidrchen,  and  in  the  Norse  and  German  stories  of 
the  Golden  Bird.  Thus  in  our  romance  the  four 
elder  princes,  through  their  pleasure-seeking  disposi- 
tion, fall  into  the  toils  of  an  artful  courtesan,  while 
the  youngest  pluckily  proceeds  to  fairyland  and  pro- 
cures the  Rose  of  Bakawali,  of  which  his  brothers 
deprive  him  on  his  way  home.     In  such  stories  as  I 


INTR  OD  UC  TION. 


have  mentioned  the  elder  brothers,  if  not  deservedly 
enchanted  in  some  manner  on  the  road,  waste  their 
time  at  a  wayside  inn,  and  the  younger  is  aided  in  his 
quest  by  some  animal,  troll,  or  dwarf,  to  whom  he  had 
done  a  friendly  turn  :  in  our  romance  the  young  prince 
is  helped  by  a  good-natured  div,  or  demon. 

The  prediction  of  the  astrologers,  with  which  the 
romance  begins,  that  if  the  king  should  ever  cast  his 
eyes  on  his  newly-born  son  he  should  instantly  become 
blind,  has  many  analogues  in  other  Eastern  tales.  For 
example,  in  the  Bakhtydr  Ndma  we  read  that  a  king 
of  Persia,  after  being  long  childless,  one  night,  in  a 
dream,  is  addressed  by  an  aged  man :  "  The  Lord 
has  complied  with  thy  request  and  to-morrow  thou 
shalt  have  a  son,  but  in  his  seventh  year  a  lion  shall 
seize  and  carry  him  off  to  the  top  of  a  mountain,  from 
which  he  shall  fall,  rolling  in  blood  and  clay."  The 
vazi'rs  say  that  the  decrees  of  Destiny  cannot  be  with- 
stood, but  the  king  declares  that  he  will  do  so,  and  then 
summons  his  astrologers,  who  say  that  the  king  after 
twenty  years  shall  perish  by  the  hand  of  his  own  son. 
The  king  causes  an  underground  dwelling  to  be  con- 
structed, in  which  he  places  his  child  and  the  nurse. 
When  the  prince  is  seven  years  of  age,  a  lion  rushes 
into  the  cave,  devours  the  nurse,  carries  off  the  boy, 
and  drops  him  down  a  mountain.  The  child  is  found 
by  one  of  the  king's  secretaries,  who  causes  him  to  be 
properly  educated.  In  course  of  time  the  youth  is 
appointed  armour-bearer  to  the  king,  who,  of  course, 


ASTROLOGERS'   PREDICTIONS. 


does  not  know  that  he  is  his  own  son,  and  in  fighting 
with  an  enemy  who  had  invaded  his  kingdom,  in  the 
confusion  of  the  battle,  the  youth  cuts  off  the  king's 
hand,  supposing  him  to  be  on  the  enemy's  side,  and 
before  dying  the  king  ascertains  that  his  son  had 
caused  his  death. 

In  the  Bagh  o  Bahdr  (see  the  Appendix,  page  478), 
a  young  prince,  in  consequence  of  a  prediction  of  the 
astrologers  that  he  was  menaced  with  great  danger 
until  his  fourteenth  year,  is  confined  in  a  vault  lined 
with  felt,  in  order  that  he  should  not  behold  the  sun 
and  the  moon  till  the  fatal  period  was  passed.  In  Mr. 
Ralston's  Tibetan  Tales.,  the  diviners  declare  to  a  king 
that  he  shall  have  a  son  who  shall  take  his  life  and 
usurp  the  royal  power,  setting  the  diadem  on  his  own 
head.  And  we  have  a  familiar  instance  in  the  Arabian 
tale  of  the  Third  Calender,  where  the  astrologers  having 
predicted  that  the  newly-born  son  of  a  jeweller  should 
be  killed  when  fifteen  years  old  by  'Ajib  the  son  of 
King  Khasib,  the  child  is  placed  in  an  underground 
apartment  in  an  island.  In  the  Turkish  story-book 
known  as  the  History  of  the  Forty  Vazirs,  the  sooth- 
sayers predict  that  a  king's  son  shall  be  much  afflicted 
and  wander  in  strange  lands,  with  tribulation  and  pain 
for  his  companions,  from  his  thirtieth  till  he  has  at- 
tained his  sixtieth  year.  In  the  Norwegian  story  of 
Rich  Peter  the  Pedlar  the  star-gazers  foretell  that  his 
daughter  should  one  day  wed  a  poor  man's  son.  And 
in  classical  legends  we  have  the  story  of  Danae,  the 


INTR  OD  UC  TION. 


daughter  of  Acrisius,  king  of  Argos,  by  Eurydice,  who 
was  confined  in  a  brazen  tower  because  an  oracle  had 
said  that  his  daughter's  son  should  put  him  to  death. 

V — The  Persian  Stories  have  been  selected  from 
a  collection  translated  by  Mr.  Edward  Rehatsek,  and 
published  at  Bombay  in  1871,  under  the  title  of  Amus- 
ing Stories.  They  occur  in  the  Persian  work,  Mahbub 
til-Kali/b,  of  which  some  account  has  been  given  in 
connection  with  the  first  two  romances  in  the  present 
volume.  The  first  of  these  stories,  that  of  the  Three 
Deceitful  Women,  is  very  diverting,  and,  as  I  have 
shown  in  the  Appendix,  has  its  counterparts  in  France 
and  Spain.  It  belongs  to  the  numerous  stories  of  the 
Woman's  Wiles  cycle,  and  certainly  represents  the  ladies 
in  no  very  amiable  character.  But  as  a  set-off  to  this 
tale  of  the  depravity  of  women — the  subject  of  many 
European  mediaeval  stories  and  jests,  as  well  as  of 
Asiatic  fictions — we  have  also  stories  of  the  wicked- 
ness of  men,  such  as  that  of  the  Envious  Vazi'r  and 
that  of  the  Kazi  of  Ghazni — "  blackguards  both  " ! 


HISTORY  OF   NASSAR.  "r 


HISTORY  OF   NASSAR, 

THE  SON  OF  KHOJA  HUMAYUN,  THE 
MERCHANT  OF  BAGHDAD. 


DURING  the  reign  of  the  Abbaside  Khah'fs  there 
hved  in  the  city  of  Baghdad  a  merchant  called 
Khoja^  Humayun,  who  was  very  rich,  highly  respected, 
and  prosperous  in  all  his  dealings.  The  caravan  of 
his  good  fortune  had  for  a  long  time  travelled  in  the 
lands  of  success ;  the  hand  of  detriment  was  never 
extended  towards  the  skirts  of  his  wealth ;  nor  did 
the  simiim  of  loss  and  misfortune  ever  blow  in  the 
gardens  of  his  prosperity  ;  so  that  he  passed  all  his 
days  in  the  cradle  of  happiness  and  content.  One 
day  he  happened  to  repose  in  a  retired  part  of  his 
mansion  on  the  couch  of  gladness,  when  he  beheld 
suddenly  two  kites  overhead  contending  for  some- 
thing.    After  the  Khoja  had  been  looking  at  them 

1  A  Khoja  is  a  master  of  a  household,  also  a  teacher  ;  in 
the  former  acceptation  it  is  somewhat  equivalent  to  the  old 
English  "goodman." — Gibb's  History  of  the  Forty  Vezirs,  p.  33. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


for  some  time,  he  perceived  that  from  the  claws  of 
one  something  was  hanging  which  the  other  wanted 
to  snatch  away.  Whilst  he  was  wondering  the  object 
fell  to  the  ground,  and  on  examining  it  he  found  it  to 
be  a  small  bundle  which  contained  three  rubies,  a 
diamond,  and  four  pearls,  all  of  unequalled  beauty 
and  price.  The  Khoja  was  at  first  highly  pleased 
at  this  occurrence,  and  joyfully  considered  it  as  an 
additional  sign  of  his  good  fortune,  and  recited  this 
distich  : 

Whom  prosperity  favours, 
Jewels  rain  upon  his  head. 

But,  as  he  was  a  man  of  great  discernment  and 
experience,  he  looked  at  this  affair  in  another  light, 
on  second  thoughts,  and  considered  it  as  a  mystery, 
which  made  him  uneasy.  He  had  a  grown  and 
intelligent  son,  called  Nassar,  whom  he  privately 
addressed  thus :  "  My  beloved  son,  it  is  well-nigh 
eighty  years  since  I  began  to  navigate  the  ocean  of 
life  in  the  skiff  of  prosperity,  and  it  has  never  deserted 
me,  nor  have  the  autumnal  blasts  of  reverse  ever 
withered  the  freshness  of  my  affluence.  But  as  the 
splendour  of  every  morn  of  happiness  is  followed  by 
the  darkness  and  night  of  decrease  and  misfortune, 
and  the  leaves  of  the  rosy  volume  of  comfort  are 
scattered  by  the  whirlwind  of  distress  ;  and  as 

Fate  has  not  Ht  a  lamp  of  content 

Which  the  storm  of  adversity  has  not  extinguished  ; 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 


I  conclude  from  this  incident  that  as  the  humai^  of 
my  good  success  has  reached  the  zenith,  the  caravan 
of  my  prosperity  will  soon  deflect  from  the  path  of 
my  destiny  :  the  ship  of  my  happiness  may  become 
wrecked  in  the  ocean  of  adversity ;  and,  for  all  I 
know,  the  treasure  I  possess  may  become  a  prey  to 
the  whale  of  reverse,  poverty  and  misery.  This  anti- 
cipation may  be  realised  very  soon,  but  as  I  have 
spent  a  life  of  happiness  and  content,  and  have 
gratified  all  the  desires  of  a  man,  I  wish  for  nothing 
more ;  therefore,  if  misfortune  beset  me,  I  trust  I 
shall  be  able  patiently  to  endure  its  bitterness.  But 
since  you  have  not  seen  the  ups  and  downs  of  life, 
or  experienced  any  reverse,  I  do  not  think  it  fitting 
that  you  should  continue  to  live  with  me,  and  it  is 
in  conformity  with  the  dictates  of  prudence  that  you 
spend  some  time  in  travelling ;  for  wise  men  have 
said  that  travel  is  a  polish  which  rubs  off  the  rust 
of  carelessness  from  the  speculum  of  a  man's  mind 
and  a  sovereign  cure  for  inexperience  : 

Travel  lights  the  lamp  of  perfection  in  a  man  ; 

A\Tien  a  pearl  is  taken  out  of  the  sea  it  is  appreciated.  - 

In  Shiraz,  the  seat  of  learning,"  continued  the  Khoja, 

1  The  humai  is  a  fabulous  bird,  supposed  to  bestow  prosperity 
on  any  person  who  is  overshadowed  by  its  wings. 

2  Oriental  writers  frequently  descant  on  the  advantages  of 
travel;  not  only  because  it  enlarges  the  mind  (for  "home- 
keeping  youths  have  ever  homely  wits "),  but  as  a  means  of 
acquiring  wealth.     For  some  examples,  see  my  Book  of  Sindibdd. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


"  I  have  a  friend  named  Khayrandish,  who  was  my 
companion  in  several  journeys,  and  to  whom  I  have 
done  some  good.  You  must  go  to  him  and  say  : 
'  I  wish  you  to  surrender  to  me  the  deposit  my  father 
entrusted  you  with  when  you  were  companions  on 
the  road  of  Bahrayn.'  After  receiving  that  article 
from  Khayrandish,  take  prudence  and  caution  for 
your  guide  and  go  to  the  Maghrabi  country,^  because 
there  is  much  chance  of  acquiring  worldly  goods 
there,  and  no  one  ever  returned  from  it  empty- 
handed.  Consider  that  precious  object  as  a  means 
to  procure  you  a  livelihood,  for  by  presenting  it  to 
one  of  the  kings  or  grandees  of  those  parts  it  will  soon 
ensure  you  attention ;  and  I  for  my  part  shall  make 
over  all  I  possess  to  my  relatives  and  friends,  and 
shall  devote  myself  solely  to  the  worship  of  God." 

Nassar  made  his  preparations  and  departed  for 
Shiraz,  the  seat  of  learning ;  but  he  had  scarcely 
proceeded  two  stages  in  that  direction  when  a 
eunuch  in  the  Khalifs  service,  intending  to  abscond, 
had  at  midnight  absented  himself  from  the  royal 
haram  with  a  casket  of  jewels  which  he  had 
abstracted.  He  walked  with  great  apprehension 
through  the  streets  in  search  of  the  dwelling  of 
his  accomplice,  whence  he  intended  to  proceed 
farther  at  the  break  of  day ;  but  as  the  night  was 
very  dark  he  missed  the  house,  and,  by  the  decree 

1  The  name  generally  given  by  the  Arabs  and  Persians  to  the 
districts  of  Northern  Africa  west  of  Egypt. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 


of  Fate,  entered  the  mansion  of  Khoja  Humayiin, 
which  happened  to  be  open.  On  looking  round  he 
soon  discovered  his  mistake,  so  he  wandered  about 
the  house  trying  to  find  his  way  out,  but  the  Khoja's 
slaves  having  in  the  meantime  locked  the  entrance 
as  usual,  he  had  no  alternative  but  to  conceal  him- 
self in  a  corner  and  there  remain  till  morning. 

But  the  Khalif's  treasurer  soon  discovered  that  the 
eunuch  had  decamped  with  the  casket,  and  caused 
proclamation  to  be  made,  that  any  person  harbouring 
the  culprit  should  at  once  hand  him  over  to  the 
police,  failing  which  his  property  should  be  confis- 
cated. The  royal  officials  made  fruitless  search  all 
night,  but  at  break  of  day,  when  the  eunuch  of 
night  had  retired  and  the  prince  of  morn  established 
himself  in  the  palace  of  the  horizon,  one  of  the 
attendants  of  the  court,  who  was  a  mortal  enemy 
of  Khoja  Humayiin,  passing  his  house,  perceived 
the  eunuch  and  took  him  before  the  Khalif;  and, 
considering  this  a  good  opportunity  of  avenging  him- 
self on  his  foe,  he  said  :  "  Khoja  Humayiin,  who 
trusted  in  his  wealth  and  dignity,  has  committed  this 
crime  by  instigating  the  eunuch  to  the  deed  and 
afterwards  secreting  him  in  his  house.''  The  Khalif 
well  knew  the  Khoja's  loyalty  and  honesty,  had  often 
bestowed  favours  upon  him,  and  was  aware  that  such 
an  act  was  not  at  all  consistent  with  his  disposition ; 
but  as  the  sun  of  prosperity,  in  consequence  of  the 
celestial  rotations,  had  deflected  from  him  and  set  in 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 


the  west  of  misfortune;^  and  the  night  of  distress 
was  intent  on  obscuring  the  precincts  of  his  comfort 
and  destroying  the  volume  of  his  happiness  with  the 
scissors  of  extinction;  and  as  the  stratagems  of  enemies 
have  results  like  the  bites  of  snakes  and  scorpions, 
the  insidious  words  of  the  adversary  so  inflamed  the 
Khahf's  wrath  that  he  ordered  Khoja  Humayiin's 
property  to  be  confiscated,  his  house  razed,  and  him- 
self expelled  from  the  city  without  giving  him  the  least 
opportunity  of  uttering  a  word  in  his  own  defence. 

1  Belief  in  judicial  astrology' — in  the  influence  of  the  planets 
over  the  fortunes  of  men — prevails  throughout  the  East,  as  it  did 
in  Europe  until  comparatively  recent  times  ;  indeed  the  delusion 
appears  to  have  its  adherents  in  our  own  country,  even  in  these 
"double-distilled"  days,  if  it  be  true  that  ZadkieFs  Almanack 
has  a  very  large  circulation.  Truly  "error  dies  hard!" — An 
Asiatic,  liefore  setting  out  on  a  journey,  being  married,  or 
beginning  any  important  affair,  always  consults  an  astrologer  to 
learn  the  precise  lucky  moment.  In  one  of  thg  Jatakas,  or 
Buddhist  Birth-Stories,  a  man  having  missed  making  a  good 
match  for  his  son,  because  he  had  been  told  by  a  spiteful 
astrologer  that  the  day  proposed  for  the  nuptials  was  inauspicious, 
a  wise  old  fellow  shrewdly  remarked  :  ' '  What  is  the  use  of  luck 
in  the  stars?  Surely  getting  the  girl  is  the  luck  !"  and  recited 
this  stanza  : 

While  the  star-gazing   fool  is  waiting  for  luck,   the  luck 

goes  by  ; 
The  star  of  luck  is  luck,  and  not  any  star  in  the  sky. 

In  the  appendix  to  my  edition  of  the  Persian  stoiy-book  entitled 
Bakhtyar  Ndma,  pp.  218-223,  ma)'  be  found  some  rather  droll 
anecdotes  of  the  Ijlunders  of  astrologers. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


On  the  same  day  when  the  simiim  of  this  cata- 
strophe destroyed  Khoja  Humayun's  rose-garden  of 
prosperity,  Nassar's  courser  of  safety  also  met  with 
an  accident  on  his  journey.  In  the  vicinity  of  Shiraz 
a  party  of  robbers  fell  upon  him  and  deprived  him 
of  everything  he  possessed  ;  and,  exchanging  the 
robes  of  affluence  and  wealth  for  poverty  and  nudity, 
he  arrived  in  the  city  in  great  distress,  and  havmg 
found  the  dwelling  of  Khayrandish,  he  made  him 
acquainted  with  his  father's  injunction.  Khayrandish 
received  him  in  the  most  friendly  manner  possible, 
and  said  :  "  Dear  youth,  I  am  entirely  at  your  service, 
and  was  desirous  to  be  honoured  b)-  a  message  from 
your  father,  whose  casket  with  his  seal  upon  it  is  in 
my  charge.  But  the  laws  of  hospitality  require  that  a 
guest  who  adorns  my  poor  hut  with  the  light  of  his 
presence  should  abide  with  me  during  three  days,  in 
order  that  I  may  entertain  him  to  the  best  of  my 
ability  ;i    and   this   applies    especially   to    you,    whose 

1  This  custom  is  observed  by  Muslims  in  compliance  with  the 
precept  of  Muhammed  :  "  WTioever,"  said  he,  "believes  in  God 
and  the  day  of  resurrection,  must  respect  his  guest ;  and  the 
time  of  being  kind  to  him  is  one  day  and  one  night ;  and  the 
period  of  entertaining  him  is  three  days  :  and  after  that,  if  he 
does  it  longer,  it  benefits  him  more  ;  but  it  is  not  right  for  a 
guest  to  stay  in  the  house  of  his  host  so  long  as  to  incommode 
him.'"  In  the  introduction  to  the  Arabian  Nights,  King 
.Shahriyar  entertains  his  brother,  .Shah  Zaman,  three  days,  and 
on  the  fourth  he  accompanies  him  a  day's  journey  and  takes 
leave  of  him. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


presence  I  consider  as  a  great  blessing.  After  the 
expiration  of  three  days  I  shall  deliver  the  deposit 
into  your  hands."  To  this  proposal  Nassar  agreed, 
and  Khayrandish  rejoiced  him  with  his  amity,  and 
provided  him  with  a  very  handsome  wardrobe. 

When  the  golden  lamp  of  the  glorious  sun  entered 
the  lantern  of  the  west,  and  the  amber-haired  belle  ' 
of  evening  removed  the  veil  from  her  face,  Khayr- 
andish placed  the  best  food  and  drink  on  the  table 
of  intimacy,  and  after  conversing  on  various  subjects 
with  his  guest,  he  spoke  to  him  as  follows  :  "  Friend, 
it  appears  that  worldly  prosperity  has  left  Khoja 
Humayiin,  and  that  he  has  sent  you  in  pursuit 
of  it ;  for  I  have  lately  had  a  fearful  dream  and 
was  very  uneasy  about  his  circumstances.  So  tell 
me  now  what  you  intend  to  do  with  the  deposit." 
Nassar  acquainted  him  with  his  intention  to  go  to 
the  Maghrabi  country,  and  with  the  injunctions  of 
his  father.  Khayrandish  replied  :  "As  the  travellers 
in  the  path  of  rectitude  and  probity  ought  to  guide 
those  who  wander  in  the  desert  of  error  and  in- 
experience, and  as  I  am  under  great  obligations 
to  your  father,  I  consider  it  my  duty  to  be  useful 
to  you.  Since  you  have  never  before  been  from 
home  and  have  spent  all  your  days  in  affluence, 
I  fear  you  will  not  be  able  to  perform  the  journey 
satisfactorily  : 

Travel  is  not  easy — its  dangers  are  bouiulless  ; 
Difticulties  accompany  it  in  all  directions. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


But  as  divine  grace  is  the  escort  of  all  who  intend  to 
journey  in  the  path  of  trust  in  God,  I  leave  you  to  the 
guardianship  of  divine  mercy  to  protect  you  from  all 
dangers.  I  shall,  however,  give  you  three  counsels, 
and  hope  you  will  profit  by  them."  Nassar  rejoined  : 
"It  is  the  first  duty  of  young  men  to  listen  to  the 
counsels  of  intelligent  and  upright  men ;  therefore 
speak,  for  I  shall  follow  them."'  Khayrandish  then 
spake  thus  : 

First  Advice. 

"  Though  the  deceitful  bride  of  the  world  may  look 
at  you  from  the  corner  of  her  eye,  and  may  try  to  bias 
your  mind  by  her  coquettish  movements,  lose  not  the 
reins  of  self-possession  from  your  hands,  because  worldly 
prosperity  is  unsubstantial  as  the  mirage,  and  the  honey 
of  its  favour  leaves  only  the  bitterness  of  deception. 

Give  not  thy  heart  to  the  love  of  the  world, 
For  it  has  destroyed  thousands  like  thee. 

When  the  humai  of  worldly  prosperity  spreads  its  wings 
over  you,  covet  not  its  favours,  for  it  will  change 
at  last  and  regret  only  will  remain. 

Be  not  intent  on  riches  and  dignity  ; 
For,  like  henna,  they  are  not  lasting,  i 

1  Henna  is  a  preparation  made  from  the  leaves  of  the  Egyptian 
privet  ( Laiusonia  inermis),  with  which  women  in  the  East  stain 
the  tips  of  their  fingers,  the  palms  of  their  hands,  etc.  It  imparts 
a  yellowish  red  or  deep  orange  colour,  which  disappears  in  a 
fortnight  or  three  weeks,  when  it  has  to  be  renewed. — See  Lane's 
Modern  Egyptians,  ch.  i. 


HISTORY  OF  N ASSAM. 


Prosperity  is  fickle,  and  when  it  has  turned  its  back, 
all  efforts  to  recall  it  are  futile.  The  favours  and 
frowns  of  the  world  are  the  harbingers  of  the  caravan 
of  prosperity  and  adversity,  for  both  depend  in  every 
individual  case  from  the  propitious  or  unpropitious 
consequences  of  the  rotation  of  the  stars  of  the 
times,  and  are  connected  with  them  like  the  sun 
with  shadows  •}  nor  can  they  be  altered  by  the  fore- 
sight of  Lukman,  or  by  the  wisdom  of  a  thousand 
Platos.  And  such  efforts  may  be  compared  to  the 
vain  longings  of  procuring  spring  in  the  depth  of 
winter,  or  for  the  light  of  day  at  midnight.  Thus  all 
the  struggles  of  Shah  Manssur  were  fruitless,  and 
he  reaped  only  sorrow  from  them."  Nassar  asked  ; 
"  What  is  the  story  of  Shah  Manssur?"  Khayrandish 
thereupon  related  the 

Story  of  Shall  Manssur. 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  man  called  Shah 
Manssur,  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Nishapiir,  who 
lived  in  affluence,  but  deceitful  fortune  had  spread  the 
chess-board  of  hypocrisy,  had  mated  and  abandoned 
him  in  the  desert  of  affliction.  After  he  lost  all  his 
property,  he  sat  down  in  the  lap  of  misery,  and  finding 
all  his  efforts  to  better  his  condition  fruitless,  he  set 
out  for  India.  When  he  arrived  in  Kabul  he  was 
equally  disappointed,  so   he  went   one  day  into  the 

1  See  note  on  page  8. — We  have  in  this  passage  the  motif  oS 
the  romance  throughout. 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MJNSSUR.  13 

bazar,  hoping  to  find  employment  as  a  porter.  There 
he  waited  till  evening,  and  every  man  found  occupa- 
tion excepting  himself.  He  began  involuntarily  to 
shed  tears,  and  one  of  the  principal  merchants,  who 
was  returning  home  from  the  palace  of  the  Amir,  saw 
him,  and,  concluding  that  he  was  suffering  from  some 
wrong  done  to  him,  asked  him  the  cause  of  his  distress. 
Manssur  informed  him  of  his  circumstances,  upon 
which  the  merchant  took  him  to  his  house,  and  next 
morning  told  him  that  as  he  was  in  need  of  an 
attendant  he  might  stay  until  he  could  find  something 
more  to  his  advantage.  Shah  Manssur  accordingly 
entered  into  the  merchant's  service,  and  gained  by 
his  diligence  the  approbation  of  his  master,  but  raised 
the  envy  of  his  fellow  servants  and  incurred  the 
ill-will  of  his  mistress.  One  day  he  felt  somewhat 
indisposed,  and  the  merchant's  wife  sent  him  some 
poison  as  a  medicine,^  but  as  his  distemper  was  slight 
he  made  no  use  of  the  remedy,  and  kept  it  in  his 
pocket.  Now  the  merchant  had  a  little  son  whom 
Shah  Manssur  was  wont  to  carry  about,  and  who  was 
so  much  accustomed  to  him  that  whenever  he  cried 
Manssur  only  could  quiet  him.  It  so  happened  that 
this  day  the  child  would  not  cease  weeping,  and  Shah 
Manssur  was  obliged  to  take  him  into  the  street, 
hoping  to  divert   him   by  looking  at  the  passers-by. 

1  "Hell  has  no  fury  like  a  woman  scorned  !"  Besides,  the 
virtuous  youth  might  not  keep  the  secret  of  her  intended  intrigue 
;for  such  is  evidently  to  be  understood)  to  himself. 


14  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


Having  a  little  business  to  despatch,  he  set  the  child 
for  a  moment  against  a  wall,  which  unfortunately  fell 
and  covered  him.  Shah  Manssur  was  in  despair  and 
made  a  great  outcry,  whereupon  the  merchant  came 
out  and  asked  him  why  he  made  such  a  noise.  He 
told  his  master  of  the  accident,  at  which  the  merchant 
was  disconsolate,  and  the  people  flocked  from  all 
directions  wishing  to  kill  Shah  Manssur.  Meanwhile 
the  ruins  of  the  wall  were  removed,  and  on  the  child 
being  extricated  he  was  found  alive  and  perfectly 
uninjured.  The  father  and  mother  of  the  child  were 
in  an  ecstasy  of  joy  at  his  fortunate  escape,  and  all 
the  people  wondered.  Shah  Manssur  fell  on  his 
knees  and  thanked  the  Most  High,  and  everybody 
rejoiced.  A  man  in  the  crowd  proposed  that  a  medi- 
cine be  administered  to  the  child,  and  Shah  Manssur 
immediately  produced  from  his  pocket  that  sent  to 
him  by  the  merchant's  wife,  and  handed  it  to  his 
master,  but  as  soon  as  the  child  had  swallowed  it  he 
fell  into  convulsions  and  expired.  The  child's  parents 
were  in  despair,  especially  the  mother,  who  threatened 
to  commit  suicide  if  Shah  Manssur  were  suffered  to 
live,  because,  as  she  said,  he  had  poisoned  her  son. 
Hereupon  the  merchant's  servants  tied  Manssur  to  a 
post,  and  ill-treated  him  so  much  that  he  fainted,  and 
was  abandoned  for  dead. 

In  the  evening  he  began  to  revive  and  moaned 
[)iteously.  The  merchant  was  an  intelligent  man  and 
could  hardlv  believe  Shah   Manssur  to  have  been  so 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  15 

ungrateful  as  to  kill  his  child  deliberately  with  poison, 
so  he  approached  the  supposed  culprit  and  besought 
him  to  speak  the  truth.  Manssur  said  that  as  he  was 
deeply  grateful  for  the  kindness  he  had  received  from 
his  master  and  greatly  attached  to  the  child,  the  thought 
of  committing  such  a  crime  could  not  have  entered  his 
mind  :  and  that  he  had  only  given  to  the  child  a 
remedy  which  had  been  sent  to  himself  by  his  mistress 
when  he  was  slightly  indisposed.  The  merchant  at 
once  perceived  his  wife's  treachery  and  was  convinced 
of  Shah  IManssur's  innocence;  l)ut  nevertheless  he  told 
him  that  he  could  no  longer  retain  him  in  his  service  ; 
so  he  loosed  his  bonds  and  dismissed  him.  Naked 
and  wounded,  as  he  was,  Shah  Manssur  walked  awa\- 
and  took  refuge  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city  with  an  old 
woman,  at  whose  house  he  used  to  stay  in  better  times 
when  on  his  commercial  journeys.  Having  explained 
to  her  his  case,  she  received  him  kindly  and  set  about 
curing  his  wounds.  This  old  woman  had  a  son  who 
was  carrying  on  an  amorous  intrigue  with  a  neighbour's 
wife.  He  happened  to  be  absent  on  that  night  at  a 
friends  house,  but  his  paramour  was  ignorant  of  this, 
and  having  waited  till  her  husband  was  asleep  she 
hastened  to  her  lover's  house,  which  she  found  in 
darkness,  and  mistaking  Shah  Manssur  for  him  she 
approached  his  couch.  The  wounded  man  thought  it 
was  his  old  landlady,  and  began  to  thank  her  for  her 
kmd  solicitude.  In  the  meantime  the  husband  of 
the  adulterous  woman  had  missed  her  and  made  his 


i6  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

appearance  in  the  old  woman's  house.  She  had  just 
got  up  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  disturbance,  and 
on  perceiving  a  man  standing  with  a  naked  sword  at 
the  door,  she  concluded  he  was  a  thief,  and  at  once 
ran  up  to  the  roof  of  her  house  and  raised  an  alarm, 
which  caused  all  the  people  of  the  district  to  sally 
forth  with  sticks  and  swords ;  but  the  adulterous 
woman  ran  off  by  way  of  the  river,  which  was  the 
shortest,  to  her  house  and  went  instantly  to  bed.  In 
the  confusion  her  husband  was  struck  by  many  stones 
thrown  at  him  when  making  his  escape,  but  at  last 
he  arrived  home  and  overwhelmed  his  wife  with 
reproaches;  she,  however,  yawned,  pretended  to  awake 
from  sleep,  turned  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and 
asked  what  was  the  hour  of  the  night.  But  the 
infuriated  husband  would  not  be  deceived  by  this 
subterfuge,  but  vehemently  accused  her  of  being 
unfaithful,  and  even  drew  his  sword.  Upon  this  the 
woman  cried  aloud  :  "  O  Muslims  !  my  husband  is 
killing  me  ! "  and  the  police  officers,  who  were  at  that 
moment  returning  from  the  alarm  that  had  been  raised 
by  the  old  woman,  caught  the  words  and  ran  to  the 
house,  when  the  husband  violently  struck  one  of  them 
with  his  sword,  and  after  a  brief  struggle  was  taken 
into  custody. 

After  the  woman  had  thus  got  rid  of  her  husband 
the  wasps  of  lust  again  stung  her,  and  being  anxious 
to  know  whether  her  lover  was  sick  she  once  more 
approached   Shah  Manssur's  couch,  awoke  him   and 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  17 

began  her  overtures.  The  old  woman's  son,  who  had 
been  at  a  neighbour's,  hearing  of  the  disturbance  in 
his  mothers  house,  went  home.  On  his  way,  however, 
when  passing  near  the  dwelhng  of  his  paramour,  he 
went  in,  and  finding  the  house  empty  he  concluded 
that  she  had  gone  in  search  of  himself  He  was  not 
aware,  of  course,  of  Shah  ^lanssur  being  the  guest 
of  his  mother,  and  when  he  reached  home  he  lit  a 
candle  and  went  into  his  room,  where  beholding  his 
paramour  with  a  strange  man,  he  exclaimed  :  "I  have 
got  a  curious  substitute  to-night ! "  The  woman  fled 
in  terror,  but  Shah  Manssur  fell  into  the  grasp  of  the 
young  man.  The  noise  of  the  struggle  again  awoke 
the  old  woman,  who,  as  before,  thought  that  thieves 
had  broken  into  the  house,  and  ran  to  the  roof  of  the 
house  and  screamed  loudly.  Her  son,  supposing 
Shah  Manssur  to  be  the  thief,  told  her  that  he  had 
taken  him.  The  old  woman  tried  in  vain  to  undeceive 
him  ;  but  he,  incited  by  his  jealousy  and  rage,  struck 
her,  on  which  she  raised  a  great  noise,  accusing  him 
of  wishing  to  kill  her,  till  some  neighbours  came  and 
dragged  him  off  to  prison. 

Notwithstanding  all  that  had  taken  place  the  adul- 
terous woman  could  not  rest  and  again  repaired  to 
Shlh  Manssur,  who  was  this  time  frightened  at  her 
re-appearance,  ascribing  to  her  all  the  mischief  that 
had  happened  during  the  night,  and  believing  her  to 
be  an  evil  spirit  was  considering  how  he  might  get 
rid  of  her.     The  old  woman's  sister,  overhearing  the 

c 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAU. 


conversation,  approached  the  door  to  Hsten.  Mean- 
while the  imprisoned  husband  had  bril:)ed  his  jailor, 
escaped  from  custody,  and  made  his  appearance  at 
the  old  woman's  house,  where  mistaking  her  sister  for 
his  own  wife  he  wounded  her  with  his  sword.  The 
noise  again  made  the  landlady  get  up,  and  in  the 
tumult  the  faithless  wife  took  to  her  heels,  as  did  also 
her  husband,  who  believed  that  he  had  grievously 
wounded  her  and  chuckled  in  his  heart  at  the  deed. 
She  was,  however,  very  swift-footed,  and  when  he 
reached  home  he  found  her  again  in  bed  and  to  all 
appearance  asleep.  Pretending  to  be  just  awaking, 
she  asked  what  he  wanted,  and  he  told  her  he  was 
greatly  astonished  to  behold  her  safe  and  sound  after 
he  had  killed  her  at  the  old  woman's  house.  The 
wife  sarcastically  remarked  that  men  are  once  a-year 
subject  to  lunatic  influences  which  affect  their  minds. 
Quoth  the  man  :  "Possibly  this  may  be  the  case  with 
me,  as  I  have  been  greatly  disturbed  in  my  mind 
during  the  last  two  days ;  you  have  done  well  to 
inform  me  of  this." 

When  the  old  woman  came  out  from  her  house 
she  saw  no  one  except  her  sister,  who  was  severely 
wounded.  She  was  amazed,  and  said  to  herself:  "All 
the  tumult  and  mischief  of  this  night  occurred  on 
account  of  the  presence  of  this  man."  So  when  it  was 
morning  she  spoke  to  Shah  Manssur,  saying :  "  Dear 
sir,  as  these  misfortunes  have  happened,  my  son  has 
been  thrown  into  prison,  and  my  sister  will  perchance 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSCR.  19 

die  of  her  wound  ;  and  as,  moreover,  my  son  is  very 
self-willed  and  incensed  against  you,  it  will  be  best  for 
you  to  remove  from  this  house."  Shah  Manssur 
accordingly  left  the  place  and  began  with  great  pains 
to  travel  towards  Gaznin,  bearing  the  load  of  misery 
on  the  back  of  sorrow,  and  reading  the  threnody  of 
his  misfortunes.^ 

After  some  time  he  was  overtaken  by  a  man  riding 
on  a  camel,  who  accosted  him  and  had  compassion 
for  his  wretched  condition.  The  man  informed  him 
that  his  name  was  Baba  Fys,  that  his  camel  was  laden 
with  silk  belonging  to  Khoja  Fyra,  the  vazir  of  the 
Amir  of  Gaznin,  who  was  of  a  very  benevolent  dis- 
position and  would  no  doubt  assist  him.  He  then 
took  Shah  Manssur  on  his  camel,  and,  dreading  the 
dangers  of  the  night,  he  proceeded  with  great  speed. 
The  swift  motion  and  his  wounds  so  distressed  Shah 
Manssur  that  he  earnestly  desired  Baba  Fys  to  set 
him  down  again,  in  order  that  he  might  pass  the  night 
in  tranquility  and  thus  be  able  to  continue  his  journey 
in  the  morning.  But  his  companion  told  him  that  to 
stop  at  such  a  place  was  by  no  means  advisable,  since 
in  the  vicinity  there  was  a  mountain  pass  to  which 
many   animals    resorted   under   the   leadership    of   a 

1  Stories,  such  as  this,  of  unfaithful  wives  outwitting  their 
husbands,  with  similar  mischances,  are  common  in  Eastern 
collections  ;  and  the  present  well-told  tale  would  probably  have 
been  very  eagerly  adapted  by  the  early  Italian  novelists,  had  they 
known  it,  among  whom,  indeed,  it  has  more  than  one  analogue. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


monkey  named  Paykar,  who  had  plundered  many 
caravans.  By  the  prayers  of  the  Lord  Sulayman, 
they  could  now  do  mischief  only  during  the  night, 
and  therefore  they  kept  the  pass  obstructed  all  day, 
so  that  travellers  must  necessarily  hasten  through  it 
in  the  night,  but  after  that  the  road  was  quite  safe, 
and  then  he  might  rest  himself  Shah  Manssur,  how- 
ever, was  in  such  great  distress,  and  so  determined  to 
alight,  that  Baba  Fys,  unwilling  to  abandon  him  to  his 
fate,  was  obliged  to  comply  with  his  request.  They 
agreed  to  sleep  and  relieve  each  other  by  turns,  but 
had  rested  only  a  short  time  when  they  perceived  a 
camel  approaching  them,  ridden  by  a  monkey  and 
guided  by  a  bear.  Many  other  animals  of  dreadful 
aspect  also  came  running  and  attacked  the  camel. 
Hereupon  Baba  Fys  began  to  lament,  and  accused 
Shah  Manssur  of  having  brought  him  into  all  this 
trouble.  This  attracted  the  attention  of  the  monkey, 
who  made  a  sign  to  the  wild  beasts,  which  immediately 
pulled  Baba  Fys  to  the  ground,  bit  off  his  ears  and 
then  retired.  This  incident  so  disconcerted  Baba  Fys 
that  he  was  ashamed  to  continue  his  journey  to 
Gaznin,  and,  after  bitterly  upbraiding  his  companion 
for  being  the  cause  of  his  mishap,  he  returned  to 
Kabiil. 

Shah  Manssur,  though  wretched  and  on  foot, 
resumed  his  journey,  and  at  last  reached  Gaznin. 
As  it  was  w^inter  and  the  city  noted  for  its  coldness, 
he  strolled  about  till  he  came  to  a  bath-house,  when 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSCR. 


he  said  to  himself:  "This  is  a  warm  place,  so  I  will 
spend  the  night  in  it."  Accordingly,  saluting  the 
keeper,  he  walked  in.  The  keeper  said:  "Young 
man,  you  appear  to  be  a  stranger ;  where  do  you 
come  from  ?  where  are  you  travelling  to  ?  and  what 
is  your  occupation?"  Manssur  replied:  "I  am  a 
traveller,  and  the  caravan  of  misfortunes  has  brought 
me  to  this  country."  The  bath-keeper  then  asked 
him  :  "  Did  you  happen  to  meet  on  your  way  a  camel- 
rider  named  Baba  Fys?"  He  replied:  "We  were 
companions,  but  in  the  desert  we  were  attacked  by 
wild  beasts,  who  bit  off  his  ears,  and  therefore  he 
has  returned  to  Kabul."  On  hearing  this  the  heart 
of  the  bath-keeper  became  hot  as  a  blacksmith's 
furnace,  seething  from  the  flames  of  grief,  and  he 
exclaimed  :  "  What  more  distressing  news  could  you 
tell  me  ?  He  is  my  brother ;  the  camel  was  my 
property ;  and  I  borrowed  the  price  of  the  silk.  I 
must  of  necessity  go  home  to-night  and  consult  my 
relatives  on  this  affair ;  and  as  the  vazir,  who  is  the 
owner  of  this  bath  and  is  at  present  sick,  intends  to 
come  here  in  the  morning,  I  was  ordered  to  warm 
the  bath  well.  Do  you  therefore  put  fire  into  it,  and 
to-morrow  I  will  pay  you  for  your  trouble.  Take 
care,  however,  to  stir  up  the  fuel  from  time  to  time, 
so  that  the  bath  may  become  properly  heated."  After 
giving  these  instructions  to  Manssur,  he  departed  to 
his  house.  But  as  Manssur  was  fatigued  and  glad 
to  be  in  a  warm  place,  he  soon  fell  asleep ;  and  on 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


awaking  he  found  the  fire  was  extinguished,  so  he 
got  up,  and  in  his  anxiety  and  inexpertness  he 
stirred  the  fire  so  as  to  break  part  of  the  floor 
above  it,  in  consequence  of  which  the  water  in  the 
reservoir  rushed  down  and  completely  put  out  the 
fire  again,  at  the  same  time  scalding  Manssur,  who 
fled  from'  the  place  in  great  fear.  When  the  vazir 
arrived  at  the  bath  in  the  morning  he  began  to 
tremble  from  the  cold,  and  his  malady  so  increased 
that  he  fainted.  His  attendants  immediately  seized 
the  bath-keeper,  who  asserted,  in  excuse,  that  it 
was  all  the  fault  of  the  fireman,  who  had  run  away. 
But  the  vazir  suddenly  dying  in  consequence  of 
having  caught  cold,  his  son  gave  orders  that  both 
the  bath -keeper  and  the  fireman  should  be  put 
to  death. 

Manssur,  however,  had  made  good  his  escape  from 
Gaznin,  and  was  journeying  towards  Lahore  when  he 
fell  in  with  a  caravan,  of  which  one  of  the  merchants 
engaged  him  as  his  servant.  As  Manssur  was  well 
acquainted  with  his  duties,  he  diligently  guarded  his 
master's  goods,  and  soon  gained  his  confidence.  When 
the  caravan  had  entered  into  one  of  the  pargannas  of 
Lahore,  as  all  the  provisions  were  exhausted,  each 
merchant  gave  his  servant  a  quantity  of  goods  to 
exchange  for  victuals.  Manssur  bartered  the  goods 
he  had  received  from  his  master  very  profitably,  and 
returned  with  various  kinds  of  provisions  before  any 
of  his  companions,  at  which  his  master  was  so  well 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  23 


pleased  that  he  said  to  him  :  "I  hear  that  there  are 
many  wealthy  persons  in  this  parganna.  Take  there- 
fore some  goods  of  high  price  and  dispose  of  them, 
and  I  will  give  you  half  the  profits."  Accordingly, 
Manssur  selected  merchandise  of  nearly  the  value  of 
five  hundred  tomans,^  which  he  sold  for  a  thousand 
and  returned.  His  master  gave  him  three  hundred 
tomans,  saying  :  "  Let  this  sum  be  the  capital  of  your 
business,  which  you  will  in  a  short  time  increase  and 
be  thus  enabled  to  return  to  your  own  country." 
Shah  Manssur  gratefully  received  the  merchant's 
generous  gift,  and,  having  bought  suitable  goods, 
again  repaired  to  the  parganna,  and  hawked  them 
about  till  he  arrived  at  the  gate  of  an  elegant  and 
magnificent  mansion,  which  he  concluded  to  be  the 
property  of  some  noble  or  grandee,  and  thought  the 
owner  might  possibly  buy  all  his  stock  of  merchandise. 
So  he  deposited  his  wares  in  the  shade  of  a  wall  and 
leaned  against  it,  watching  the  door  of  the  house. 
Presently  a  maiden  resembling  a  hiiri-  in  stature,  with 
the  serenity  of  the  moon  in  her  countenance,  and 
with  bewitching  eyes,  came  out  of  the  house  with  a 
pitcher  in  her  hand  for  the  purpose  of  taking  water 


1  A  toman  is  a  Persian  gold  coin  which  has  varied  much  in 
vahie  at  different  periods  ;  at  present  it  is  worth  about  7s.  2d. 
of  our  money. 

-  The  hiiris  (or,  as  the  term  is  often  written,  houries)  are  the 
black-eyed  nymphs  of  the  Mushm  Paradise,  of  whom  Rluhammed 
has  promised  seventy  to  each  behever. 


24  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

from  the  river ;  and  Shah  Manssur  thus  addressed 
her :   "I  am  at  your  service — 

The  glances  of  your  eyes  are  wonderful  ; 
Whoever  beholds  them  is  on  the  top  of  felicity." 

But  the  maiden  rephed  : 

"  This  is  not  the  place  where  every  caravan  stops  ; 
The  lion  of  every  desert  is  here  distrusted." 

Having  thus  spoken  the  damsel  went  her  way,  leaving 
Shah  Manssur  disappointed.  But  after  a  while  she 
returned  and  inquired  of  him  :  "  Why  do  you  stop 
here?"  He  answered:  "I  am  waiting  on  rosy-cheeked 
ladies,  and  my  heart  is  stored  with  all  sorts  of  services 
for  them."  Quoth  the  damsel:  "Bring  your  goods 
into  the  house  that  I  may  buy  them."  So  he  took  up 
his  wares  and  followed  the  girl,  who  walked  very 
rapidly.  They  passed  through  a  corridor  with  several 
doors,  and  arrived  in  the  court-yard  of  the  mansion, 
which  was  a  great  and  lofty  edifice  of  much  beaut) , 
having  many  apartments  elegantly  furnished,  but  un- 
tenanted. When  he  had  looked  around  and  rested 
himself  for  a  while,  he  perceived  that  the  maiden  had 
disappeared.  At  last  he  concluded  it  would  be  best 
for  him  to  leave  the  place ;  but  as  he  was  roaming 
from  one  apartment  to  another  he  lost  his  way,  and 
finding  no  way  of  exit  became  frightened,  yet  continued 
his  search  until  he  reached  a  hall  from  the  ceiling  of 
which  a  golden  disk  was  suspended  by  chains  encrusted 
with  precious  stones.     On  both  sides  of  the  disk  small 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  25 

globular  bells  were  dangling,  and  upon  it  there  was  a 
phial  of  glass.  The  statue  of  a  lion  of  marble  bound 
in  chains  occupied  one  side  of  the  apartment.  A\'hile 
Shah  Manssur  viewed  this  scene  with  amazement,  the 
same  girl  entered  with  a  rod  in  her  hand.  x\s  he  was 
about  to  address  her,  she  exclaimed  :  "  Ha  !  madman, 
you  have  walked  into  the  trap  at  last!"  and  struck 
the  lion  so  that  he  began  to  roar,  and  the  disk,  the 
chains,  and  the  little  bells  shook  and  jingled,  accom- 
panied by  great  noises,  shoutings,  and  lamentations, 
which  terrified  Shah  Manssur,  who  anxiously  wished 
to  make  his  escape.  Meanwhile  the  phial  on  the  disk 
emitted  a  green  substance  mingled  with  flames,  which 
ascended  mto  the  air  and  filled  the  apartment  with 
darkness  :  Shah  Manssur  almost  fainted ;  and  when 
the  smoke  and  the  flame  had  subsided,  a  viper  lifted 
its  head  out  of  the  phial,  from  which  it  finally  emerged 
and  entered  the  mouth  of  the  lion.  Soon  after  this 
the  lion  sneezed,  and  from  his  brains  a  spider  escaped, 
which  gradually  increased  in  size  until  it  became  as 
large  as  a  sheep  ;  when  it  made  a  still  greater  effort 
its  skin  burst,  from  which  an  old  hag  of  miserable 
aspect,  dreadful  as  a  goblin  and  ugly  as  a  satyr,  came 
forth,  embraced  Shah  Manssur  very  ardently,  kissed 
him,  and  emitted  from  her  cadaverous  mouth  a 
disgusting  liquid  which  covered  his  face.  Her  putrid 
breath  was  like  burning  sulphur,  and  made  him  cough 
and  almost  give  up  the  ghost.  This  dreadful  hag,. 
however,  doubled  her  caresses,  and  would  not  leave 


26  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

him  until  he  fainted  away.  When  he  came  to  his 
senses  he  cried  out  piteously  :  "  O  most  gracious  lady, 
deliver  me  from  this  calamity!"  But  she  replied: 
"Your  request  cannot  be  gratified;"  and  then,  giving 
him  a  substance  to  smell  at,  he  again  became  un- 
conscious. 

Thus  Shah  Manssur  continued  during  nearly  forty 
days  in  the  grasp  of  misfortune.  The  wretched  hag 
made  her  appearance  once  every  day,  tormenting  him, 
and  causing  him  to  faint  for  the  gratification  of  her 
wicked  lust.  One  day,  however,  when  she  was  about 
the  same  business,  she  pulled  out  a  mirror  from  her 
pocket  and  looking  into  it  with  great  consternation, 
was  suddenly  transformed  into  a  spider,  crawled  into 
the  mouth  of  the  lion,  ^Yhence  she  again  issued  in  the 
form  of  a  serpent,  ascended  to  the  disk  and  disappeared 
in  the  phial.  Then  Shah  Manssur  went  into  the 
court-yard  and  tried  whether  he  could  escape  from 
the  place.  There  the  girl  met  him  and  said  :  "  I  am 
astonished  that  she  has  not  thrown  you  into  a  trance;" 
upon  which  Manssur  told  her  all  that  had  occurred, 
and  the  girl  said  :  "  She  has  a  foe  in  Jabolka,  whose 
machination  she  learns  from  that  mirror,  because 
Avhenever  he  attempts  to  ruin  this  wicked  fairy  his 
figure  appears  in  it,  and  the  accursed  one  departs  to 
combat  him."  Then  exclaimed  Shah  Manssur  bitterly: 
"O  cruel  and  merciless  woman!  the  torments  which 
I  have  suffered  in  this  house  are  the  consequences  of 
my  having   hy   your  coquetry  been  decoyed   into  it ; 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  27 

and  now  perhaps  you  will  be  compassionate  enough  to 
let  me  depart."  The  damsel  replied  :  "Young  man,  I 
have,  like  yourself,  been  caught  in  this  shoreless  whirl- 
pool, and  have  been  made  the  instrument  of  alluring 
poor  victims,  whom  she  was  in  the  habit  of  using  for 
the  gratification  of  her  wicked  desires  and  afterwards 
destroying.  Whenever  I  disobeyed  her  she  punished 
me  severely.  Her  name  is  Hennana  the  Witch,  and 
she  is  a  descendant  of  the  sorcerers  of  the  time  of 
Kolyas,  whom  the  accursed  Pharaoh  sent  against  the 
Lord  Moses  (salutation  to  him).^  This  iniquitous 
wretch  keeps  a  similar  establishment  in  Hindiistan:  she 
is  able,  like  the  wind,  to  transport  herself  in  a  moment 
from  the  eastern  to  the  western  parts  of  the  world,  and 
to  carry  the  flames  of  misfortune  to  all  places." 

Shah  Manssur  then  asked  the  girl  :  "  How  did 
you  fall  into  her  power?"  She  replied:  "Know 
that  my  father  is  the  chief  of  Agra  and  is  possessed 
of  great  wealth.  He  had  betrothed  me  to  my  cousin, 
who  set  out  for  Banares  to  procure  the  paraphernalia 
of  the  wedding  ceremony  \  and  when  the  report  of 
my  beauty  and  other  qualities  had  spread  through 
that  city,  the  Amir  verified  it,  was  desirous  to  marry 

1  One  of  the  Egj'ptian  magicians  who  "withstood  Moses," 
mentioned  by  Arabian  writers  :  their  chief  was  called  vSimeon, 
and  among  the  eminent  masters  of  the  "art  magic"  were  Sadhur 
and  Ghadur,  Jaath  and  Mossa,  Waran  and  Laman,  each  of  whom 
came  attended  with  his  disciples,-  amounting  in  all  to  several 
thousands. — St.  Paul,  in  his  second  epistle  to  Timothy,  iii,  8, 
gives  the  names  of  two  of  the  magicians  as  Jannes  and  Jambres. 


28  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

me,  and  said  to  my  relatives  :  '  I  have  heard  that 
you  have  a  beautiful  girl,  and  I  wish  to  take  her  for 
a  wife.'  My  father  and  my  relatives  consented;  but 
as  I  was  deeply  in  love  with  my  uncle's  son,  I  became 
very  indignant  and  exclaimed  :  '  To  how  many  men 
will  you  give  your  daughter?  It  is  many  years  since 
you  betrothed  me  to  my  cousin,  and  though  he  is 
absent  at  Banares  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  the 
things  needful  for  a  household,  I  consider  myself 
as  under  his  protection,  and  shall  never  accept  of 
another  husband  as  long  as  I  am  alive.  Do  not 
try  to  force  me,  for  I  would  rather  commit  suicide.' 
This  resolute  declaration  had  the  effect  I  desired, 
and,  after  holding  a  consultation  with  our  relatives, 
my  father  determined  that  we  should  all  flee  to 
Banares.  I  was  dressed  in  male  garments,  and  when 
night  approached  was  taken  out  of  the  city  and  given 
in  charge  of  two  confidential  servants  who  were  to 
explain  everything  to  my  cousin,  and  we  began  our 
journey  on  fleet  Arab  steeds.  After  we  had  travelled 
for  three  days  a  fearful  wind  and  thunderstorm 
overtook  us  in  the  desert,  during  which  I  became 
separated  from  my  escort  and  was  left  alone.  As 
I  was  roaming  about  I  arrived  at  a  green  spot  where 
I  discovered  a  fountain,  and  feeling  thirsty  I  alighted 
from  my  horse,  which  at  once  took  to  flight,  and 
in  my  vain  pursuit  of  it  I  chanced  to  meet  an  old 
woman  who  was  weeping  piteously  and  crying  aloud: 
'  O  unhappy  fate  !    have   you  at  last   in  my  old  age 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  29 

and  weakness  thrown  me  into  such  a  state  that  I  must 
become  the  prey  of  wild  beasts  ?  Would  to  God 
some  friend  could  take  me  by  the  hand  and  deliver 
me  from  this  danger  ! '  I  came  forward  and  said  : 
'Old  woman,  what  has  happened  to  you?'  She 
answered  :  '  I  was  going  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Makka, 
and  when  our  caravan  entered  this  desert  it  was 
plundered  by  robbers.  Here  have  I  been  for  two 
days  without  a  morsel  of  food.  Young  man,  have 
pity  on  my  age  and  helplessness ;  deliver  me  from 
this  calamity,  and  convey  me  to  a  place  of  security, 
that  you  may  be  rewarded  for  your  good  act.'  I  had 
compassion  on  the  wretched  old  woman  and  was 
considering  what  I  could  do  for  her,  when  she  handed 
me  an  apple,  of  which  I  had  no  sooner  eaten  a  small 
piece  than  I  sneezed  and  fainted ;  nor  was  I  sensible 
of  aught  until  I  again  opened  my  eyes  and  found 
myself  in  this  place  with  that  accursed  witch.  When 
she  saw  me  pale  and  frightened,  she  exclaimed : 
'  Let  nothing  dismay  you,  for  your  life  is  not  in 
danger  from  me;'  and  thinking  I  was  a  man,  she 
commenced  to  fondle  me,  but  I  soon  undeceived  her. 
Since  that  time  four  years  have  elapsed,  during  which, 
being  myself  miserable,  I  was  compelled  to  entice 
helpless  men  into  her  snares.  Nevertheless,  one  day 
I  conceived  that  I  might  escape  and  secretly  left  the 
house,  but  I  was  instantly  transformed  into  a  she-dog, 
and  was  pursued  by  all  the  dogs  in  the  town,  so  that 
I  was  again  obliged  to  return  to  this  place.     But  now 


30  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

I  shall  propose  to  you  a  means  of  escape,  on 
condition  that  you  convey  me  in  safety  to  my  friends." 
Shah  Manssur  eagerly  replied :  "I  promise  to  do 
whatever  you  require  of  me,"  and  the  girl  went  on  to 
say  :  "  AVhen  the  phial  is  broken  the  witch  must  die  ; 
request  her  therefore  to  give  you  tidings  concerning 
your  family,  and  as  soon  as  she  disappears  you  must 
strike  the  phial  with  a  stone  so  as  to  break  it."^ 

Whilst  they  were  conversing  they  perceived  the 
accursed  hag  approaching.  So  the  maiden  left  the 
apartment ;  and  when  the  witch  saw  Shah  Manssur 
weeping  she  asked  him  the  reason,  to  which  he 
answered  :  "  It  is  now  a  long  time  since  I  was  sepa- 
rated from  my  country,  and  I  have  had  a  fearful 
dream  which  afflicts  me  sorely."  Quoth  the  hag : 
"  Be  not  distressed  ;  I  shall  instantly  give  you  infor- 
mation regarding  your  relatives  ;"  so  saying,  she  went 
to  the  phial,  disappeared  and  quickly  returned,  and 
minutely  described  to  him  the  dwelling  as  well  as  the 

1  The  notion  of  the  hfe  or  heart  of  an  ogre,  witch,  etc.,  being 
extraneous  to  the  iDody  and  concealed  in  some  object — usually 
very  difficult  to  reach  by  the  heroes  who  are  in  their  power — is 
often  the  subject  of  the  popular  fictions  of  all  countries.  \\Tiat 
is  probably  the  oldest  extant  instance  of  this  occurs  in  an 
Egyptian  romance,  preserved  among  the  hieratic  papyri  in  the 
British  Museum,  which  bears  to  have  been  written  more  than 
3000  years  ago,  or  about  the  period  when  Moses  was,  in  his 
youth,  at  the  court  of  Pharaoh.  The  "curious"  reader  may 
find  numerous  other  examples  cited  in  my  Popular  Tales  ami 
Fictions,  vol.  i,  pp.  347-351- 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  31 

condition  of  his  parents  and  relatives.  Manssur  was 
astonished  at  the  accuracy  of  her  description,  but, 
dissembhng,  said  to  her  :  "  I  cannot  beheve  all  this, 
because  my  country  is  far  distant  and  you  have 
returned  in  half  a  minute.  Unless  you  bring  me  a 
token  that  you  have  really  been  there  I  cannot  trust 
you."  Quoth  the  witch:  "What  kind  of  token  do 
you  desire?"  Manssur  replied:  "In  the  garden  of 
our  house  is  a  tree  on  which  I  once  climbed,  when 
a  portion  of  my  belt  was  torn  off,  which  I  tied  to 
a  branch.  If  you  bring  me  a  rag  of  the  belt  I  shall 
then  believe  you."  When  he  had  said  this  the  witch 
went  again  to  the  phial,  and,  as  before,  disappeared. 
This  time  the  girl  brought  Shah  Manssur  a  stone ;  he 
invoked  the  aid  of  God  the  Most  High,  and  striking 
the  phial,  it  flew  into  pieces.  Then  the  lion  roared, 
the  chains  clanked,  the  little  bells  jingled,  a  fearful 
noise  was  heard,  some  blood  dripped  from  the  ceiling 
of  the  apartment  to  the  ground,  and  the  magical 
apparatus,  the  furniture,  the  chambers,  and  the  entire 
edifice  vanished,  leaving  Shah  Manssur  and  the 
maiden  standing  together  in  a  cemetery,  and  both 
poured  forth  their  thanks  to  the  Most  High.  Then 
the  girl  said  :  "  My  dear  friend,  from  hence  to  Agra 
is  ten  days'  journey;"  and  handing  him  some  costly 
pearls  she  added,  "try  to  convey  me  quickly  to  my 
parents,  and  buy  with  these  pearls  all  that  is  necessary 
for  me  on  the  way."  Shah  Manssur  purchased  a  camel 
with  a  litter  and  a  slave  for  the  damsel,  and  sent  her 


32  HISTORY  OF  NASSAU. 

off  to  her  own  country,  after  which  he  set  out  on  foot, 
and  in  a  destitute  condition,  for  Burhanpiir. 

When  Shah  Manssur  arrived  at  his  destination  he 
heard  that  the  Amir  of  Burhanpiir,  while  hunting, 
had  lost  a  precious  gem  from  the  hilt  of  his  sword, 
and  had  issued  an  order  that  all  the  citizens  should 
go  next  morning  to  the  hunting  ground  in  search 
of  it.  So  rich  and  poor,  gentle  and  simple,  left  the 
city  and  roamed  about.  Shah  Manssur  joined  the 
crowd,  and  was  fortunate  enough  to  find  the  lost 
gem.  On  presenting  it  to  the  Amir  he  was  highly 
pleased,  praised  him  greatly,  and  questioned  him  as 
to  his  connections  and  circumstances ;  after  which 
he  gave  him  in  charge  of  one  of  his  chamberlains 
to  provide  for  him  as  soon  as  possible.  It  happened, 
however,  that  the  Amir  died  suddenly,  and  the  re- 
ward promised  to  Manssur  came  to  nothing. 

The  son  of  the  Amir  succeeded  his  father.  One 
day  a  merchant  presented  him  with  a  parrot  that 
could  speak  with  great  eloquence,  and  the  new  Amir 
entrusted  it  to  the  care  of  the  chamberlain,  who  took 
the  bird  home,  and  having  sent  for  Manssur  said  to 
him  :  "  Take  the  utmost  care  of  this  parrot,  for  it 
may  become  the  means  of  introducing  you  to  the 
Amir,  and  of  your  obtaining  the  reward  which  his 
father  promised  you."^     Manssur  took  charge  of  the 

1  Parrots  often  play  important   parts  in  Asiatic  tales  :    here, 
however,    the   "intelligent"    bird,    as   will   be   seen   presently, 

works  only  mischief. 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  33 

bird  and  carried  it  away ;  but  when  he  got  into  the 
street  the  people  were  all  so  anxious  to  see  it  and 
pressed  so  much  upon  him  that  he  thought  it  would 
be  better  to  take  the  parrot  out  of  the  cage  and 
carry  it  in  his  hand.  But  unluckily  it  escaped  from 
his  grasp  and  flew  to  the  top  of  the  chamberlain's 
haram.  Manssur  had  great  trouble  in  climbing  the 
wall,  and  just  as  he  had  succeeded  the  parrot  again 
flitted  away  and  alighted  on  the  roof  of  one  of  the 
haram  apartments.  Shah  Manssur  was  so  frightened 
that  he  said  nothing  to  the  eunuch  and  other  servants, 
but  threw  up  a  cord,  by  means  of  which  he  contrived 
to  reach  the  spot ;  but  once  more  the  parrot  started 
off,  and  in  so  doing  moved  a  tile  which  fell  on  the 
head  of  the  chief  lady  of  the  chamberlain's  haram 
and  killed  her  there  and  then.  The  eunuchs  and 
maid-servants,  on  discovering  this  fatal  mishap,  raised 
their  voices  in  lamentation,  which  caused  the  cham- 
berlain to  leave  his  office  and  run  into  the  haram, 
where  he  found  everyone  in  a  state  of  great  agitation, 
and  Shah  INIanssur  a  captive  in  the  hands  of  the 
eunuchs,  and  he  at  once  ordered  the  culprit  to  be 
beaten  and  thrown  into  prison,  where  the  poor  fellow 
was  kept  for  some  time  and  tormented  every  day 
until  he  found  a  favourable  opportunity  and  escaped. 
Shah  Manssur  fled  to  Guzerat,  where  he  wandered 
about  in  great  distress,  sometimes  hiring  himself  out 
as  a  labourer  and  sometimes  as  a  porter.  One  day, 
when  he  was  unable  to  obtain  either  food  or  employ- 


34  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

ment,  he  determined  to  sell  the  ring  with  which  the 
neighbour's  wife  had  presented  him.^  He  was  chiefly 
induced  to  take  this  step  by  sniffing  the  appetising 
fumes  of  roast  meat  in  passing  a  cook's  shop,  the 
owner  of  which  he  approached,  and  requesting  some- 
thing to  eat  offered  the  ring  in  pledge  for  the  price. 
But  when  the  cook  looked  at  the  ruby  set  in  the 
beazle  and  then  at  the  poverty-stricken  figure  of  Shah 
Manssur,  he  felt  sure  that  he  could  not  be  the  lawful 
possessor  of  such  a  gem  but  must  have  stolen  it,  and 
that,  not  knowing  its  real  value,  he  was  ready  to  part 
with  it  for  a  meal.  Now  it  chanced  that  during  the 
preceding  night  some  thieves  had  broken  into  the 
treasury  of  the  Amir  and  stolen  a  great  quantity 
of  gold,  silver,  precious  stones,  and  valuables  of  all 
kinds;  and  this  audacious  robbery  had  become  known 
throughout  the  city  and  the  police  were  busy  searching 
the  bazars  and  private  houses  for  the  thieves.  So  the 
cook  said  to  Shah  Manssur  :  "  Friend,  you  do  not 
look  like  the  owner  of  such  a  ring  as  this  ; — come, 
tell  me  where  you  got  it?"  "What  business  have 
you  thus  to  question  me?"  replied  Manssur.  "Either 
give  me  something  to  eat  or  return  me  the  ring." 
These  words  gave  rise  to  a  dispute,  which  culminated 
in  a  fight,  wherein  the  neighbours  took  the  part  of  the 
cook,  and  on  the  arrival  of  the  police  on  the  scene 

1  It  does  not  appear  from  the  preceding  part  of  the  narrative  that 
the  hero  received  any  ring  from  a  "neighbour's  wife."  Perhaps 
something  has  been  omitted  by  a  copyist  of  the  Persian  text. 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  35 

they  took  the  ring  from  the  cook,  and  thinking  it  to 
be  one  of  the  articles  stolen  from  the  treasury  they 
dragged  Shah  Manssur  before  their  superintendent, 
and  reported  that  they  had  recovered  a  portion  of  the 
stolen  treasure  and  captured  the  thief 

It  happened  that  a  notorious  robber  named  Obayd 
was  at  that  time,  with  forty  companions,  carrying  on 
great  depredations  which  the  police  were  unable  to 
prevent,  and  his  fame  had  so  widely  spread  through 
Hindustan  that  day  and  night  no  one  could  breathe 
in  peace.  It  is  even  said  that  a  few  days  before  the 
robbery  of  the  Amir's  treasury  Obayd  sent  a  message 
to  the  police  superintendent,  to  be  on  his  guard,  as  he 
was  coming.  Consequently,  when  the  superintendent 
saw  Manssur  he  supposed  him  to  be  Obayd,  loaded 
him  with  heavy  chains,  and  sent  him  to  the  Amir, 
together  with  the  ring,  for  the  purpose  of  ingratiating 
himself  and  displaying  his  zeal  in  the  service.  But 
when  the  Amir  looked  at  Shah  Manssur,  he  said  :  "  I 
have  always  heard  that  Obayd  is  a  powerful  and  strong 
man ;  this  fellow  is  weak  and  looks  like  an  arrant 
coward  :  he  may  possibly  be  an  accomplice,  but  he 
cannot  be  Obayd  himself."  The  superintendent,  how- 
ever, replied :  "  May  your  highness  live  for  ever ! 
This  man,  who  seems  so  feeble,  is  strong  and  bold, 
and  so  nimble  that  he  can  jump  through  a  finger-ring. 
But  now  that  he  has  been  captured  by  me  his  power- 
ful limbs  have  shrunk  together  from  fear ;  and  I  shall 
put  him  to  the  torture  forthwith  to  compel  him  to  tell 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAU. 


the  truth."  Said  the  Amir  to  Shah  Manssur  :  "  Who 
are  you?  and  whence  have  you  obtained  this  ruby?" 
He  repHed,  "May  the  Amir  hve  long!  I  am  a  stranger, 
and  the  ring  is  my  own  property.  I  have  come  to 
this  country  on  account  of  the  great  name  and  the 
good  report  which  I  have  heard  of  the  Amir.  I  have 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  police,  but  I  have  no 
knowledge  at  all  of  the  robbery  of  your  highness' 
treasury."  The  apparatus  of  torture  was  then  brought, 
and  Shah  Manssur,  being  suspended  by  the  heels  of 
punishment,  forgot  in  his  misery  the  name  of  Obayd 
and  said,  "I  am  Zubayr,  and  have  robbed  the 
treasury."  Now  there  was  a  famous  robber  of  the 
name  of  Zubayr,  so  the  Amir  believed  the  poor  fellow's 
statement  and  remarked  :  "  He  may  be  Zubayr."  The 
superintendent  said  to  his  men:  "Take  good  care  of 
this  man  to-night,  and  in  the  morning  we  shall  again 
examine  him."  Accordingly  they  took  Manssur  to 
prison,  all  believing  him  to  be  the  robber  Zubayr. 
On  the  way  all  the  people  who  had  been  robbed  by 
Zubayr  rushed  up  to  Manssur  and  demanded  their 
property ;  but  the  superintendent  said  :  "  Do  not  be 
uneasy.  I  shall  get  back  to  the  last  farthing  every- 
thing he  has  taken  from  you." 

When  night  set  in  special  watchmen  were  appointed 
to  guard  the  prison,  and  vaunting  their  own  bravery 
and  fidelity,  they  took  charge  of  the  four  corners 
thereof.  Shah  Manssur  was  unable  to  sleep,  and  was 
thinking  how  the  morning  would  dawn  on  his  innocent 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  37 

head,  when  he  heard  sounds  of  striking  and  digging. 
It  was  midnight,  and  he  hearkened  to  the  sounds  with 
fear  and  trembUng,  till  suddenly  the  wall  opened, 
from  which  a  hand  grasping  a  sword  protruded,  at 
which  Manssur  became  so  terrified  that  he  nearly 
fainted,  for  he  weened  it  was  a  man  belonging  to  the 
police.  A  voice,  however,  exclaimed  :  "  Friend,  be 
not  afraid.  I  have  come  to  save  you.  We  have  no 
time  to  lose  in  explanations;"  and  with  these  words 
a  strong  man  seized  Shah  Manssur  with  his  fetters 
and  chains,  carried  him  out  of  the  prison,  let  him 
down  the  wall  of  the  fort  by  a  rope,  and  conveyed 
him  quickly  to  a  ruin  at  a  distance  of  nearly  three 
farasangs.  When  he  arrived  there  he  placed  Manssur 
on  his  feet,  and  raising  a  great  stone  which  covered 
the  entrance  to  an  underground  chamber,  they 
descended  into  it,  and  there  he  set  poor  Manssur  free 
from  his  heavy  bonds,  after  which  he  thus  addressed 
him  :  "  Young  man,  be  comfortable  and  rest  yourself, 
for  I  know  you  have  suffered  much."  Then  placing 
before  him  different  kinds  of  delicious  food,  he  added : 
"  Eat  cheerfully,  for  your  misfortunes  are  now  ended." 
After  Shah  Manssur  had  eaten  he  went  to  sleep ; 
and  when  he  awoke  he  spoke  thus  to  his  deliverer : 
"  Generous  and  kind  man,  although  honesty  radiates 
from  your  august  countenance  and  I  feel  happy  in 
your  company,  yet,  as  it  is  my  fate  to  wander  in  the 
desert  of  grief  and  to  fall  perpetually  from  one  calamity 
to  another,  you  would  greatly  relieve  my  apprehensions 


84541 


38  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

by  informing  me  of  the  motives  of  your  kind  act." 
The  man  repHed  :  "I  am  the  robber  of  the  Amir's 
treasury!  But  when  I  learned  that  you,  an  innocent 
man,  had  been  imprisoned  in  my  stead,  I  considered 
it  my  duty  to  hberate  you,  and  for  that  purpose  I 
have  been  obhged  to  kill  many  of  the  watchmen. 
To-morrow,  when  everything  becomes  known,  there 
will  be  great  excitement  and  the  police  will  be  in 
pursuit  of  me.  This  is  a  secure  refuge  where  no  one 
can  discover  you ;  and  when  the  storm  is  over  I  shall 
find  means  to  convey  you  out  of  all  danger."  Shah 
Manssur  replied  by  expressing  his  deep  feeling  of 
gratitude  to  his  deliverer. 

Next  morning  at  sun-rise  the  superintendent  was 
informed  that  a  number  of  watchmen  had  been  killed 
and  that  Zubayr  had  been  carried  off  through  an 
opening  in  the  wall.  At  this  unpleasant  news  he 
was  much  disconcerted,  and  ran  at  once  to  the 
palace  to  make  his  report.  The  Amir  was  furious 
and  exclaimed  :  "  You  rascal !  is  this  how  you  have 
taken  care  of  your  prisoner?  This  comes  only 
through  your  gross  negligence.  I  shall  hear  none 
of  your  excuses.  Produce  the  man,  else  I  shall 
punish  you  and  ignominiously  expel  you  from  my 
service." 

When  the  people  of  the  town  learned  what  had 
happened,  all  who  had  been  plundered  by  Zubayr 
accused  the  superintendent  of  having  connived  at  the 
prisoner's  escape  and  clamoured  for  the  restitution  of 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  39 

their  property.  So  he  asked  for  a  month's  respite  and 
despatched  three  thousand  men  in  search  of  the  robber. 
But  after  vainly  searching  in  all  directions  they  re- 
turned, and  those  who  had  been  robbed  confiscated 
the  superintendent's  property,  and  the  Amir  expelled 
him  from  the  city. 

Meanwhile  the  deliverer  of  Shah  Manssur  kept  him 
company  during  the  day  and  went  forth  at  night  in 
order  to  ascertain  what  was  going  on  in  the  city ;  and 
when  he  heard  of  the  superintendent's  downfall  he 
hastened  back  and  said  to  ]Manssur :  "  Praise  be  to 
God  !  the  danger  is  over,  and  it  is  time  for  me  to 
send  you  to  your  own  country."  But  quoth  Shah 
Manssur :  "  Dear  friend,  I  have  a  difficulty  which  I 
wish  you  to  solve  for  me."  Said  the  man  :  "  Speak." 
Shah  Manssur  continued :  "  Since  I  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  your  acquaintance,  I  have  discovered 
nothing  improper  in  your  character ;  but  it  is  utterly 
incomprehensible  to  me  how  you,  who  are  endowed 
with  such  noble  sentiments,  can  have  selected  the 
occupation   of  a   robber."     His   liberator   answered : 

"My  occupation  was  formerly  quite  different.  Know 
that  my  name  is  Junayd  Muhtashim,  and  I  am  a 
scion  of  a  noble  and  opulent  family.  In  this  neigh- 
bourhood there  is  a  tract  of  country  with  flowing 
rivers,  spacious  meadows,  fertile  lands,  many  houses 
and  numberless  gardens.  All  that  district  belonged  to 
me  and  was  inhabited  by  my  retainers  and  servants, 
and  I  cheerfully  paid  all  taxes  to  the  Amir,  who  was 


40  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

for  many  years  my  friend.  In  course  of  time,  how- 
ever, the  exactions  of  the  government  officials  became 
very  heavy;  judges,  tax-gatherers,  and  accountants 
were  sent  to  me  whose  rapacity  it  was  difficult  to 
satisfy,  and  I  became  greatly  distressed.  I  repeatedly 
made  complaints  to  the  Amir,  and  endeavoured  to 
convince  him  that  he  could  be  powerful  only  so  long 
as  he  treated  his  subjects  with  justice,  and  that  oppres- 
sion could  result  in  nothing  but  unhappiness  and 
confusion.  But  all  my  advice  proved  futile,  and  when 
his  delegates  came  again  I  took  refuge  in  a  fort  and 
answered  therefrom.  After  several  days  had  passed 
in  this  way,  I  heard  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the 
Amir  to  plunder  me,  so  I  conveyed  all  my  moveable 
property  into  the  stronghold  and  prepared  to  stand  a 
siege.  When  the  Amir  became  aware  that  he  could 
not  very  easily  get  at  me,  he  seized  the  sheep  and 
cattle  which  I  possessed  outside  of  the  city,  and 
ultimately  I  was  able  to  take  refuge  with  my  retainers 
in  Hyderabad,  whither  some  persons  came  and  bought 
of  me  all  the  landed  property  I  had  in  Guzerat ;  but 
as  I  could  in  no  other  way  recover  the  value  of  the 
goods  and  cattle  which  the  Amir  had  forcibly  taken 
from  me,  I  secretly  returned  to  Guzerat  to  pay  myself 
from  his  own  treasury  or  in  any  other  way,  and  no  one 
has  been  able  to  interfere  with  me.^     But  you,  my 

1  Many  an  honest  fellow,  besides  the  generous-hearted  Obayd, 
having  been  thus  beggared  by  the  rapacity  of  an  Asiatic  despot, 
has  turned  robber  in  self-defence. 


STORY  OF  SHAH  3L4NSSUK.  41 

friend,  must  no  longer  remain  in  this  place.  I  have  a 
courser,  swift  like  lightning,  to  whom  fifty  farasangs 
are  an  easy  stage  :  mount  and  ride  on  him  to  Hyder- 
abad, where  I  shall  induce  my  friends  to  send  you 
comfortably  to  Nishapiir." 

Having  written  a  few  words  to  his  relatives,  explained 
to  Shah  Manssur  the  position  of  his  house,  and  pre- 
sented him  with  a  costly  diamond,  he  took  affectionate 
leave  of  him,  wished  him  God-speed,  led  him  out 
of  the  underground  apartment,  and  said:  "Wait  a 
moment  till  I  bring  you  a  horse."  He  presently 
returned  with  a  steed,  which  when  Manssur  had 
mounted,  "  This  courser,"  said  his  deliverer,  "  well 
knows  the  road,  and  when  you  reach  Hydercibad 
you  must  throw  the  reins  on  his  neck,  and  he  will 
carry  you  without  fail  to  the  threshold  of  my  house ;" 
so  saying,  he  led  him  on  to  the  highway  and  again 
bade  him  farewell. 

Shah  Manssur  prosecuted  his  journey  with  great 
rapidity  till  he  arrived  at  Hyderabad,  and  remembering 
the  injunctions  he  had  received,  allowed  the  horse  to 
go  where  it  pleased.  Thus  he  rode  through  the  streets 
till  suddenly  a  man  recognised  the  horse,  and  proceed- 
ing to  Junayd's  house  intimated  that  a  stranger  was 
coming  mounted  on  his  horse.  Some  of  Junayd's 
relatives  at  once  went  out  and  asked  Shah  Manssur 
where  he  got  the  animal  ■  he  bestrode.  He  replied  : 
"  The  horse  is  my  own,  and  you  have  no  right  to 
question  me."     These  words  so  incensed  the  people 


42  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

that  they  instantly  surrounded  him  and  pulled  him 
oft"  the  horse,  saying :  "  This  animal  belongs  to  us. 
Come — ^tell  us  the  truth  as  to  how  you  obtained  it." 
Shah  Manssur,  believing  them  to  be  a  pack  of 
rascals  who  wished  to  deprive  him  of  the  horse, 
began  to  use  insulting  language  towards  them.  By 
this  time  a  great  number  of  people  had  gathered 
round  the  horse  and  they  cried  out :  "  We  know 
this  animal :  it  belongs  to  Junayd,  and  these  are 
his  relatives.  You  must  produce  some  token  of 
your  honesty."  As  soon  as  Manssur  learned  that 
these  were  the  friends  of  Junayd  he  began  to 
fumble  in  his  pocket  for  the  letter  he  had  received 
from  him,  but  could  not  find  it — on  the  road  he  had 
lost  both  the  letter  and  the  diamond ;  so  all  his 
assertions  that  the  horse  had  been  given  to  him  by 
the  owner  were  discredited.  They  declared  to  him 
plainly  that  he  had  either  killed  Junayd  or  robbed 
him ;  and  then  they  beat  Manssur  most  cruelly  and 
imprisoned  him  until  the  matter  could  be  cleared  up. 
He  was  kept  in  confinement  till  one  of  his  accusers 
fell  dangerously  ill,  and  tormented  by  the  stings  of 
his  conscience,  when  he  was  set  at  liberty. 

Shah  Manssur  now  reflected  :  "  My  remaining  in 
Hindustan  is  of  no  use,  for  calamities  dog  me  at  every 
step.  Alas  for  the  time  which  I  have  lost  in  roaming 
about  in  this  country  !  It -were  better  that  I  should 
return  home,  and  if  the  Most  High  please,  he  can 
make    me  happy    and  cause    me  to  prosper   there." 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  43 

A  caravan  was  proceeding  from  Hyderabad  to  Iran,^ 
and  Manssur,  sad  and  disappointed,  travelled  along 
with  it.  On  reaching  the  outskirts  of  Nishapur,  he 
said  to  himself:  "To  make  my  appearance  in  this 
destitute  and  miserable  condition,  after  a  journey  from 
Hindustan,  would  distress  my  friends  and  cause 
my  enemies  to  rejoice.  Therefore  I  will  remain  here 
until  nightfall  and  then  enter  the  town  and  go  to  my 
friends."  He  took  refuge  in  a  dilapidated  building, 
where  he  mourned  and  wept  over  his  sad  fate.  After 
a  while  an  owl  flew  in,  pursued  by  an  eagle,  and 
sought  protection  of  Shah  Manssur,  who  took  up 
a  stone  to  throw  at  the  eagle.  The  stone,  however, 
struck  the  wall  and  displaced  a  brick,  when  a  quantity 
of  gold  ashrafis"-^  fell  to  the  ground.  Shah  Manssur 
ran  to  the  place  and  there  found  a  pot  full  of  gold 
and  silver.  He  stuffed  his  pockets  with  gold  coins 
and  then  concealed  the  pot  in  an  obscure  corner 
of  the  ruin,  fervently  thanking  God  for  this  happy 
termination  of  his  travels  and  misfortunes.-^ 

1  i.e.,  Persia. 

2  An  ashrafi  is  worth  about  ten  shillings. 

3  It  is  a  favourite  plan  for  extricating  an  impecunious  hero  out 
of  his  difficulties  in  Eastern  fictions  to  represent  him  as  finding 
a  great  treasure  in  a  ruin.  And  no  doubt  such  an  incident  has 
often  occurred  in  Asiatic  countries,  where — in  the  absence  of 
such  institutions  as  banks — money  and  jewels  are  usually  con- 
cealed in  the  earth,  old  wells,  etc.,  lest  the  sovereign  or  one 
of  his  greedy  ministers  should  come  to  know  of  any  person 
possessing  much  wealth,  and  forthwith  confiscate  it. 


44  HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 

He  remained  in  the  ruin  all  night,  and  in  the 
morning  he  did  not  enter  Nishapiir  but  went  to 
Kazvyn,  where  he  took  an  apartment  in  the  caravan- 
serai, changed  his  habiliments,  and  bought  a  large 
quantity  of  the  finest  merchandise,  a  string  of  camels, 
and  three  slaves,  and  made  his  entrance  into  Nishapiir 
rejoicing.  He  was  most  kindly  received  by  his 
relatives  and  friends,  and  in  course  of  time  he 
removed  the  whole  of  the  treasure  from  the  ruin 
to  his  own  house.  Thus  he  lived  in  comfort  and 
prosperity,  made  several  journeys  to  the  country 
of  Rum  and  to  that  of  the  Franks, '^  by  which  he 
obtained  large  profits,  so  that  he  finally  became  the 
owner  of  seven   hundred  strings  of  valuable  camels. 

One  day  when  he  was  sitting  with  his  friends 
and  relating  his  unhappy  adventures  in  Hindustan, 
he  mentioned  also  the  affair  of  the  witch,  and  asked 
whether  they  had  seen  her  about  the  place.  They 
replied  :  "  We  were  sitting  together  one  day  in  this 
very  house,  when  a  strange  cat  made  its  appearance, 
looked  at  each  of  us  attentively,  and  instantly  vanished. 
Not  long  afterwards  it  came  again,  ran  with  great 
speed  up  yonder  tree,  and  immediately  falling  down, 
seemed  to  be  in  the  agony  of  death,  but  when  we 
went  up  to  the  animal  it  had  already  expired."  Quoth 
Shah   Manssur :    "  That  was   the   same  witch  whose 

1  By  "Rum"  (or  Roum)  Asiatics  generally  mean  Europe,  at 
least  Eastern  Europe,  and  "the  land  of  the  Franks"  has  the 
same  meaning. 


STORY  OF  SHAH  MANSSUR.  45 

captive  I  had  been  for  some  time,  until  at  last  I 
contrived  to  send  her  here  and  escape;"  and  at  this 
explanation  they  were  greatly  amazed.^ 

Shah  Manssur  once  took  a  large  quantity  of  mer- 
chandise, with  many  attendants,  to  the  country  of 
Tabriz,  which  was  at  that  time  under  the  Turkish 
government.  He  waited  on  the  Amir  of  Tabriz, 
associated  with  him,  and  so  gained  his  favour  that 
he  made  him  his  vazir;  and  when  the  Amir  died, 
the  citizens,  being  pleased  with  the  kind  and  just 
disposition  of  Shah  Manssur  in  his  capacity  of  vazir, 
petitioned  the  sultan  to  make  him  Amir,  a  request 
which  was  readily  granted,  and  Shah  Manssur 
governed  in  Tabriz  for  many  years  until  he  died. 

"  My  dear  Nassar,"  continued  Khayrandish,  "  I 
have  related  this  narrative  to  make  you  understand 
that  a  man  cannot  attain  the  object  of  his  desires 
by  irregular  wanderings  and  inordinate  appetites ; 
but  if  he  be  patient  he  will  succeed.  The  world 
is  a  coquette,  and  the  more  she  is  courted  the 
more  coy  and  prudish  she  becomes,  but  if  left 
unnoticed  she  will  try  to  gain  our  favours." 

1  This  incident  recalls  popular  tales  current  in  our  own  country 
of  witches  turning  themselves  into  cats,  and  some  bold  fellow 
smiting  off  a  paw  of  one  of  the  unholy  sisterhood  thus  trans- 
fonned,  and  next  day  a  woman  suspected  of  witchcraft  being 
found  in  her  bed  with  one  of  her  hands  apparently  newly 
amputated. — Similar  stories  are  told  oiiuennolvcs,  or  men  having 
the  power  of  transforming  themselves  for  a  time  into  wolves. 


46  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

Second  Advice. 
"It  is  necessary  to  guard  oneself  from  the  wiles 
and  snares  of  our  fellow-beings,  and  not  to  trust 
implicitly  in  persons  whose  character  is  neither  known 
nor  tried.  Whoever  walks  among  thorns  must  do 
so  with  great  care  and  precaution.  This  world 
resembles  a  picture-gallery  with  many  apartments, 
each  of  which  has  its  own  peculiar  attractions ; 
but  a  man  who  should  spend  all  his  time  in  the 
contemplation  and  enjoyment  thereof,  to  the  neglect 
and  disregard  of  his  daily  avocations,  would  injure 
his  own  interests.  Therefore  he  is  prudent  who 
runs  not  after  every  fleeting  illusion,  but  bridles 
his  desires  lest  he  be  disappointed  and  rendered 
unhappy,  like  the  geomancer,  the  washerman,  and 
the  painter,  who  lost  control  of  their  passions  and 
were  drowned  in  the  ocean  of  misfortunes  and  errors, 
grieving  over  their  troubles,  which  they  were  unable 
to  remedy."     Then  Khayrandish  told  Nassar  the 

Story  of  Hatiin  Ta'i  aiid  the  Benevolent  Lady. 

It  is  related  that  when  Hatim  Tai'^  was  dispensing 
his  bounty  one  day  in  a  hall  which  had  forty  doors, 
by  every  one  of  which  the  destitute  might  be  admitted, 

1  Hatim  was  chief  of  the  Arab  tribe  of  Tai,  shortly  before  the 
advent  of  Muhammed,  and  so  highly  celebrated  for  his  boundless 
generosity  that  at  the  present  day  in  Muslim  countries  no  greater 
compliment  can  be  paid  to  an  open-handed  man  than  to  call 
him  "another  Hatim." 


STORY  OF  HA  TIM  TAI  AND    THE  LADY.      47 

a  darvesh  entered  and  thus  addressed  him:  "O  vernal 
cloud  of  liberality  !  the  mead  of  hope  expects  to  be 
irrigated  by  you.  O  husbandman  of  the  field  of 
beneficence,  the  aspirants  to  your  favours  are  in 
attendance  to  receive  your  refreshing  showers,  and 
this  gleaner  from  the  store-houses  of  your  bounty 
was  by  the  guide  of  hope  directed  to  the  prosperous 
mansion  of  your  generosity  ! 

Bestow  gifts,  O  noble  individual. 

For  liberality  is  the  lamp  in  the  assembly  of  Faith. 

Whoever  gives  a  dirham  to  a  mendicant 

Is  favourably  regarded  by  God. 

The  umbrella  of  victory,  in  both  worlds. 

Overshadows  the  glorious  heads  of  the  liberal. " 

Hatim  ordered  one  hundred  dinars^  to  be  given 
to  the  darvesh,  who  again  entered  by  another  door 
and  reiterated  his  petition,  and  again  obtained  one 
hundred  dinars.  Thus  he  repeated  his  request 
until  he  had  come  in  by  all  the  forty  doors,  and 
had  obtained  the  same  sum  at  each  of  them.  After 
that  he  reappeared  at  the  first  door  and  proffered 
the  same  request,  upon  which  an  attendant  said 
to  him :  "  Darvesh,  you  have  made  the  round  of 
all  the  entrances  and  were  disappointed  at  none. 
How  is  it  that  your  greediness  is  not  yet  satisfied, 
and  that  you  have  exposed  yourself  to  a  refusal?" 
The  darvesh  heaved  a  deep  sigh  and  replied : 
"  The  fame  of  Hatim,  which  extends  over  the  whole 

1  A  gold  dinar  is  worth  about  ten  shillings. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


world,  has  induced  me  to  travel  from  China  to 
this  place.  But  in  that  country  there  is  a  lady 
more  liberal  than  he,  inasmuch  as  her  largesses 
surpass  the  most  extravagant  expectations  of  those 
who  receive  them,  so  that  a  hundred  Hatims  could 
not  equal  in  many  years  the  sums  which  she  disburses 
in  one  day."  "When  the  darvesh  had  thus  spoken  he 
disappeared,  and  Hatim  became  desirous  of  ascertain- 
ing the  truth  of  his  statement,  so  he  departed  for 
China,  and,  arrived  there,  considering  how  he  might 
accomplish  his  object,  he  walked  about  the  streets. 

He  perceived  great  crowds  of  people  hastening 
away  and  inquired  the  reason,  when  a  man  answered  : 
"  In  this  city  there  was  a  man  of  the  name  of  Nassar- 
ullah,  who  possessed  immense  riches.  He  left  a 
daughter  who  distributes  in  great  profusion — and 
has  done  so  for  several  years — money  to  all  persons. 
If  you  wish  to  know  whether  I  speak  the  truth, 
you  have  only  to  follow  the  crowd."  Accordingly 
Hatim  went  along  with  the  people,  and  arrived  at 
a  beautiful  palace  where  servants  dressed  in  rich 
garments  received  everyone  who  wished  to  enter. 
Within  the  palace  Hatim  saw  a  large  assembly 
reposing  on  silken  couches,  with  tables  before  them 
on  which  the  finest  dainties  were  placed  in  rich  variety 
and  abundance.  After  the  repast  was  over  a  con- 
fidential servant  appeared  with  a  platter  full  of  pieces 
of  paper  on  which  different  sums  were  written ; 
and    to   every    person   who   was  about   to   depart   he 


STORY  OF  HA  TIM  TAI  AND   THE  LADY.      49 

handed  one  of  those  papers.  When  Hatim's  turn 
came  he  also  received  one,  and  the  assembly  broke 
up.  As  the  people  arrived  at  the  gate  each  man 
handed  his  paper  to  a  servant,  who  gave  him  in 
return  a  bag  full  of  gold  according  to  the  amount 
specified  on  the  little  ticket.  Hatim  was  so  much 
astonished  at  what  he  had  seen  that  he  was  constantly 
thinking  of  the  immense  riches  of  the  lady,  and  was 
extremely  anxious  to  obtain  an  interview  with  her. 
So  he  requested  a  chamberlain  to  procure  him  the 
honour  of  an  audience,  and  on  being  admitted 
into  the  presence  of  that  queen  he  addressed  her 
as  follows :  "  Most  exalted  lady  of  the  mansions 
of  liberality,  and  hiiri  of  the  castles  of  felicity  ! 

May  the  rose  of  your  nature  constantly 

Be  blooming  joyfully  in  the  spring  of  generosity  ! 

The  hand  of  your  liberality,  beauteous  fairy, 

Is  shedding  jewels  like  the  vernal  cloud. 

Your  servant  has  a  difficulty, 

Which  causes  him  great  anxiety : 

If  you  grant  my  petition, 

I  shall  humbly  explain  it." 

That  idol  of  high  prosperity  gave  permission,  and 
Hatim  spake  thus  :  "  I  hear  that  the  stream  of  your 
extraordinary  liberality  has  for  several  years  flowed 
with  undiminished  vigour,  and  I  am  curious  to  know 
how  you  obtained  such  enormous  wealth."  Quoth 
the  lady :  "  Every  assembly  receives  light  from  its 
lamp,   and  the  destiny  of  every  individual  is  traced 

E 


so  HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 

out  on  his  forehead  by  the  hand  of  divine  providence. 

Love  was  the  bulbul's,  and  beauty  the  rose's  share ; 
Liberal  persons  are  the  treasurers  of  the  mercy  of  God. 

The  state  of  my  affairs  is  connected  with  a  tale 
which  I  shall  communicate  to  you  on  two  con- 
ditions :  First,  I  am  informed  that  at  present  there 
exists  a  man  of  the  name  of  Hatim,  whose  liberality 
is  so  far  famed  that  in  spite  of  my  tiaving  for  a 
number  of  years  made  it  my  business  to  grant  to 
all  persons  the  richest  and  most  abundant  gifts, 
my  name  is  not  even  heard  of  except  in  this  country ; 
therefore  I  am  so  jealous  of  Hatim  that  I  wish 
you  to  kill  him.  Secondly,  I  have  heard  that  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Khata  there  is  an  exceedingly 
high  mountain,  in  a  cave  of  which  a  blind  man 
has  dwelt  for  many  years,  who  never  utters  any 
words  save  these  : 

'  If  you  possess  one  barley-corn  of  justice, 
You  will  never  have  half  a  grain  of  sorrow,' 

and  I  desire  to  know  his  reason  for  constantly  re- 
peating these  words." 

Hatim  drew  the  finger  of  acquiescence  over  the 
face  of  content,  took  his  leave,  and  set  out  for  the 
cave  indicated  by  the  lady.  There  he  found  a  blind 
man,  whom  he  requested  to  relate  his  adventures. 
But  the  blind  man  replied  :  "  My  good  friend,  what 
can  have  instigated  you  to  make  such  a  request? 
I   have  no  doubt   that   your  mind  is  often  exercised 


STORY  OF  HA  TIM  TAI  AND   THE  LADY.      51 

with  problems  which  you  cannot  solve ;  and  I  pray 
you  to  consider  this  question  as  one  of  them." 
Hatim,  however,  went  on  to  say  :  "  Persons  of  a 
kindly  disposition  generally  comply  with  the  requests 
of  the  importunate,  and  I  hope  you  will  not  allow 
me  to  depart  from  this  place  without  affording  me 
the  desired  information."  Then  quoth  the  blind 
man  :  "I  shall  withdraw  the  veil  from  the  surface 
of  the  mystery  on  one  condition :  It  is  long  since 
I  heard  that  there  is  a  washerman  in  Khata  who 
goes  every  morning  to  the  bank  of  the  river  and  does 
nothing  but  look  at  a  tree  which  is  there,  leap  about 
like  a  madman,  sigh  deeply,  and  repeat  these  verses  : 

'  Alas,  that  your  picture  has  left  my  sight, 
And  left  my  golden  chalice  empty  of  the  wine  of  joy  ! 
It  is  the  wish  of  my  heart  that  once  more  I  may  meet  her. ' 

Now,  my  good  friend,  if  you  acquaint  me  with  the 
story  of  that  washerman,  I  shall  have  no  objection  to 
relate  to  you  my  own  history." 

Accordingly  Hatim  proceeded  in  quest  of  the 
washerman,  and  finding  the  blind  man's  account 
of  him  perfectly  accurate,  he  was  not  a  little 
astonished  at  his  actions  and  said  to  him  :  "  Friend, 
if  you  would  kindly  inform  me  why  you  act  in 
this  strange  manner,  I  might  be  able  to  help  )0u 
in  your  troubles  and  perhaps  liberate  you  from 
your  affliction."  But  the  washerman  sighed  and  only 
said  in  reply :  "  The  wound  of  my  heart  no  medicine 
can  heal,  nor  can  any  advice  help  me.    I  am  incurable. 


52  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

and  the  grief  of  my  heart  would  only  be  augmented 
were  I  to  reveal  it. 

I  had  better  hide  my  sorrow  from  empirics ; 

Perchance  the  divine  mercy  will  cure  my  grief." 

Quoth  Hatim  :  "Young  man,  stand  not  on  cere- 
mony with  me,  for  I  shall  not  quit  hold  of  your 
skirt  until  you  have  told  me  your  adventures." 
Then  said  the  washerman :  "I  also  have  a  great 
curiosity  regarding  a  certain  matter,  and  if  you 
will  satisfy  it  I  shall  relate  to  you  my  story.  Know 
that  in  Machin  there  is  a  man  who  paints  on  a  board, 
during  the  whole  year,  a  picture  of  the  handsomest 
kind,  which  he  sells  in  the  bazar  at  the  end  of 
the  year  for  a  thousand  dinars,  and  then  returns 
the  money  and  breaks  his  picture  to  pieces.  I  wish 
to  learn  the  reason  of  this  proceeding."  "  Alas, 
and  woe  is  me!"  exclaimed  Hatim.  "Into  what 
a  labyrinth  of  troubles  have  I  fallen,  to  be  thus  re- 
quired to  solve  one  enigma  after  another  ! "  He  had, 
however,  no  alternative  but  to  go  to  the  city  of 
Machin,  and  it  so  chanced  that  he  arrived  there 
at  the  time  when  the  painter  had  brought  his  picture 
to  the  bazar  and  was  surrounded  by  such  a  great 
crowd  of  people  that  Hatim  could  only  get  near 
him  as  a  bidder,  and  assisted  at  the  sale  until  the 
painter  broke  his  picture  and  gathered  up  the 
fragments,  when  the  crowd  dispersed  with  exclama- 
tions of  regret.  Hatim  then  visited  the  painter 
and  addressed  him,   saying:    "Young  man,  what  is 


THE  PAINTER'S  STORY.  53 

your  opinion  regarding  hospitality?"  In  reply  the 
painter  recited  these  verses  : 

"A  guest  is  a  flower  from  the  garden  of  prosperity  and  mercy; 
He  is  the  fruit  of  the  spring  of  happiness. 
WTioever  is  inhospitable  injures  his  own  soul." 

He  received  Hatim  in  a  very  friendly  manner, 
and  inquired  of  him:  "To  what  circumstance  may 
I  ascribe  the  happiness  of  being  visited  by  you?" 
Quoth  Hatim:  "The  mysterious  force  which  attracts 
kindred  spirits  to  each  other  has  made  me  trespass 
on  your  retirement."  x\fter  an  interchange  of 
courtesies  they  became  quite  intimate,  and  Hatim, 
anxious  to  attain  his  object,  said  to  the  painter : 
"  Dear  friend,  I  conjure  you,  by  the  obligations  which 
you  have  already  conferred  on  me,  to  explain  the 
cause  of  what  I  have  witnessed  this  day,"  and  he 
thus  complied  : 

The  Painters  Story. 

In  former  times,  when  the  refreshing  clouds  of 
youth  and  strength  watered  the  grove  of  my  life,  I 
decked  out  my  imagination  with  the  variegated  robes 
of  pleasure,  and  during  the  greater  portion  of  that 
period  the  buds  of  all  kinds  of  desires  blossomed,  and 
the  ardent  longings  to  embrace  the  fairy  of  enjoyment 
took  possession  of  my  heart.  I  had  a  delightful 
garden  in  which  I  walked  about  one  day  according  to 
my  usual  custom,  when  I  beheld  two  serpents  fighting. 
One  was  black,  the  other  white ;  the  latter  seemed  to 


54  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

be  the  weaker  and  about  to  succumb  to  its  antagonist; 
and,  as  every  one  who  removes  a  thorn  from  the  path 
of  a  bare-footed  person  performs  a  good  action,  I 
drew  my  scymetar  and  struck  off  the  head  of  the 
black  serpent.  That  very  moment  the  sky  became 
darkened,  something  roared  in  the  air,  a  phial  fell  to 
the  earth  and  was  shattered  to  pieces,  at  the  same 
time  the  white  serpent  disappeared.  I  was  astonished 
at  what  had  taken  place,  but  again  returned  to  the 
garden  next  day  to  walk  about  in  it.  In  passing  near 
the  bank  of  a  river  I  observed  a  white  hand  protruding 
from  the  water,  each  finger  of  which  was  adorned  with 
a  ring  set  with  precious  stones  of  a  brilliancy  never 
before  seen  by  the  eyes  of  man.  The  desire  of 
possessing  such  gems  incited  me  to  seize  one  of  the 
fingers,  when  the  hand  drew  me  instantly  into  the 
river,  and  on  opening  my  eyes  I  found  myself  in  a 
garden  like  Paradise,  full  of  the  most  beautiful  flowers 
and  trees.  When  I  had  recovered  from  my  confusion 
and  astonishment  I  began  to  stroll  about  that  spacious 
garden  until  I  reached  a  splendid  building,  which  I 
entered,  and  discovered  a  person  seated  on  a  throne 
surrounded  by  attendants.  I  approached  and  humbly 
saluted  him ;  he  received  me  kindly,  called  me  nearer, 
and  said :  "  I  am  surprised  to  behold  you  in  this 
place."  To  which  I  answered  :  "  May  it  please  your 
exalted  majesty,  I  have  not  intruded,  but  was  forced 
to  come  into  this  region,"  and  I  explained  the  whole 
affair.     Then  quoth  he  :  "  On  account  of  the  benefit 


THE  PAINTER'S  STORY.  55 

you  have  conferred  on  our  family,  we  were  extremely 
anxious  to  see  you."  On  hearing  these  words  I 
began  to  consider  to  what  nation  this  man  might 
belong,  and  what  good  service  I  could  possibly  have 
rendered  him,  when  he  proceeded  to  say  :  "  I  know 
that  you  are  thinking  of  me.  My  name  is  Zayn  al- 
Mafakhir.  From  Ma-varannahr,  which  is  inhabited 
by  men,  the  country  as  far  as  China  is  in  my  power; 
and,  except  my  ancestors,  none  of  the  fairies  or  genii 
can  enter  it.  I  am  obeyed  by  more  than  thirty 
thousand  genii  and  fairies.  I  have  a  daughter  called 
Subayha,  who  is  innocent  and  beautiful.  One  of  the 
chief  genii  had  fallen  in  love  with  her  and  wished  to 
marry  her,  and  with  this  object  had  sent  a  messenger 
to  enter  into  negotiations ;  but,  as  enmity  and  strife 
existed  between  us,  I  refused  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  him.  This  so  incensed  the  suitor  that  he 
despatched  a  genie  to  steal  my  daughter ;  but  my 
spies  having  informed  me  of  his  proceedings,  I  con- 
stantly watched  the  girl.  She  was,  however,  wont  to 
visit  your  garden,  and  two  days  ago  she  happened 
to  be  there  Avhen  Jarbua  assumed  the  form  of  a  black 
serpent,  and  had  almost  effected  his  purpose  when 
you  passed  by  and  killed  him.  Subayha  told  me  of 
this,  and  I  resolved  to  make  you  her  husband." 

When  the  maiden  was  shown  to  me,  her  bewitching 
eye  at  once  captured  the  fawn  of  the  repose  of  my 
heart ;  and  on  beholding  the  extraordinary  attractions 
of  her  person  I  fell  ardently  in  love  with  her ;   and 


56  HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 

Zayn  al-Mafakhir  said  :  "  Subayha  belongs  to  you. 
But,  as  the  nature  of  a  fairy  is  entirely  different  from 
that  of  a  human  being,  you  must  never  contradict  or 
irritate  her,  but  obey  her  in  all  things,  lest  the  thread 
of  your  affection  be  snapped  in  twain."  I  promised 
to  follow  these  injunctions  most  faithfully ;  married 
Subayha ;  obtained  all  the  necessaries  for  house- 
keeping \  and  Zayn  al-Mafakhir  went  to  reside  in 
another  place,  leaving  his  palace  with  all  its  furniture 
and  servants  for  our  use.  In  due  course  my  wife 
gave  birth  to  a  son,  and  at  the  moment  a  wolf 
appeared,  to  whom  she  threw  the  infant,  and  he 
walked  off  with  it.  On  seeing  this  act  of  cruelty  my 
heart  was  sorely  grieved  for  my  child,  but  on  account 
of  my  promise  I  could  not  say  anything,  and  renewed 
my  intimacy  with  her.  After  this  we  had  three  more 
children,  two  of  whom  she  threw  to  wolves  and  the 
third  into  the  fire ;  and  each  time  I  was  overwhelmed 
with  sorrow^  until  one  day,  when  a  grandee  of  that 
region  sent  me  some  rich  food,  and  I  was  just  about 
to  begin  to  eat  it  with  perfect  zest  when  my  w^ife 
dashed  it  from  me,  at  which  patience  forsook  me,  and 
I  said  to  her  :  "  Darling,  in  every  thing  my  only  desire 
is  to  please  you,  and  I  have  never  failed  in  my  duty 
towards  you.  But  what  gave  occasion  for  your  un- 
kindness?  Three  of  my  children  you  have  given  to 
wolves,  the  fourth  you  have  cast  into  the  fire,  and 
sorrow  for  their  loss  had  well-nigh  killed  me,  though  I 
did  not  complain  to  you  ;  and  now  you  have  thrown 


THE  PAINTER'S  STORY.  57 

away  the  most  delicious  food.  Surely  these  are  all 
tokens  of  your  displeasure  and  even  hatred!"  The 
fupl  of  these  words  set  the  oven  of  the  lady's  anger 
in  a  blaze,  and  she  exclaimed  : 

"  To  expect  fidelity  from  a  weak  man 

Is  like  mistaking  a  drop  of  water  for  a  pearl. 

Young  man,  on  the  day  of  our  union  you  promised 
not  to  ask  the  reason  of  anything  I  should  do.  The 
children  whom  you  thought  I  had  given  to  wolves  and 
thrown  into  the  fire  were  simply  delivered  to  their 
nurses,  and  all  are  alive  and  well."  Hereupon  she 
showed  me  our  four  children,  who  were  extremely 
beautiful.  Then  she  continued:  "The  food  which  I 
threw  away  had  been  poisoned  by  a  malevolent  genie, 
and  had  you  eaten  of  it  you  would  have  immediately 
perished.  But  now  that  you  have  been  so  thoughtless 
I  can  no  longer  remain  with  you."  Having  thus 
spoken,  she  became  suddenly  changed  into  a  dove 
and  darkness  covered  the  sky.  \\'hen  it  was  daylight, 
the  palace,  with  its  furniture  and  ornaments,  its  garden 
and  servants,  had  disappeared,  and  I  found  myself  in 
a  cemetery,  dressed  in  the  same  garb  as  on  the  day 
when  I  went  to  walk  in  my  garden. 

For  some  time  after  this  event  I  wandered  about 
the  streets  and  bazars  like  a  madman,  until  my  relatives 
applied  various  remedies  which  quieted  the  excited 
condition  of  my  mind ;  but  no  medicine  could  heal 
my  grief.  In  our  neighbourhood  there  dwelt  a  painter 
who   was   well   skilled    in    drawing    portraits,    and    I 


58  HISTORY  OF  NASSAU. 

became  his  pupil  to  enable  myself  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  my  love  and  soothe  my  grief  I  attained 
skill  to  paint  the  likenesses  of  my  wife  and  children, 
in  which  occupation  I  take  such  delight  that  I  com- 
plete every  year  a  large  picture  and  sell  it  for  a  high 
price ;  but,  as  my  jealousy  does  not  allow  me  to  let 
such  precious  treasures  fall  into  the  possession  of 
strangers,  I  break  the  picture  to  pieces.  O  my  friend, 
the  felicity  I  enjoyed  is  gone  for  ever,  and  I  spend 
my  life  in  misery. 

As  soon  as  Hatim  had  heard  this  narrative  he 
hastened  back  to  the  washerman  and  related  it  to 
him,  who  in  his  turn  now  told  Hatim  the  story  of 
his  adventures,  as  follows  : 

TJie  Washein)ian's  Story. 

I  HAVE  followed  the  business  of  a  washerman  for 
many  years.  My  occupation  brought  me  every  day 
to  this  place,  and  once,  when  I  was  here  as  usual, 
I  observed  a  dove  alighting  on  a  tree.  The  bird  was 
so  beautiful  that  I  left  off  my  work  to  admire  it. 
After  a  while  it  shook  its  wings,  its  skin  opened,  and 
a  hiiri-like  damsel  was  revealed  to  my  sight.  She 
descended  from  the  tree  and  seated  herself  in  my  lap. 
I  rubbed  the  sleeve  of  astonishment  over  my  eyes  and 
exclaimed  :  "  What  happiness  has  fallen  to  my  lot !  O 
most  beauteous  lady,  I  am  ready  to  sacrifice  my  life  to 
you,  and  to  make  you  the  companion  of  my  joys  and 


THE   WASHERMAN'S  STORY.  59 

sorrows."  But  the  damsel  replied  :  "  Young  man,  this 
is  not  a  fitting  time  for  jesting.  I  have  come  a  long 
way,  and  feeling  very  weary  I  wish  to  repose  for  a 
while."  So  she  laid  her  head  in  my  lap  and  fell  asleep, 
while  I  pondered  my  good  fortune  and  future  enjoy- 
ment. Meantime  another  and  still  more  beautiful 
dove  settled  on  a  branch  of  the  tree,  and  presently 
turned  into  a  heart-ravishing  maiden.  Desirous  to 
please  her,  I  expressed  some  compliments,  to  which 
she  thus  responded  :  "  Men  are  of  weak  intellects  and 
so  fickle  that  they  bestow  every  moment  their  affection 
on  a  new  object.  One  eye  needs  not  two  pupils  and 
one  scabbard  cannot  contain  two  swords.  Let  no  one 
be  thirsty  in  a  river,  or  wish  for  flowers  in  a  garden." 
On  hearing  these  sarcastic  remarks  I  gently  removed 
the  head  of  the  first  lady  from  my  lap  and  said  to  the 
second  :  "  I  renounce  a  thousand  mistresses  like  this 
for  half  a  glance  of  your  eyes,"  adding  many  other 
complimentary  expressions  which  pleased  her  so  much 
that  she  also  laid  her  head  in  my  lap  and  fell 
asleep.  Soon  afterwards  a  third  dove  alighted  on 
the  tree,  and  was  like  the  others  transformed  into  a 
beautiful  girl.  Forgetting  what  I  had  said  to  the 
other  ladies,  I  fell  violently  in  love  with  her,  but  while 
I  was  trj-ing  to  ingratiate  myself  with  the  new  comer, 
the  two  others  awoke,  and  all  three  upbraided  me  in 
this  strain:  "O  faithless  and  ignorant  wretch!  are  you 
not  ashamed  of  your  unsteady  and  chameleon-like 
nature,  and  do  you  not  know  that  the  first  condition 


6o  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

of  love  is  fidelity  !  Who  could  ever  expect  attach- 
ment from  thee  ? 

The  morning  brings  light,  the  evening  night ; 
Nor  can  a  bat  perceive  the  sun." 

When  they  had  thus  spoken  they  assumed  the  forms 
of  doves  again  and  flew  away,  leaving  me  to  regret  my 
folly  and  repent  of  my  fickleness.  Many  years  have 
come  and  gone  since  then,  but  I  can  never  forget  the 
happiness  which  I  might  have  enjoyed,  and  so  I  roam 
about  in  despair. 

Hatim  took  leave  of  the  washerman  and  proceeded 
to  the  cave  in  the  mountain  where  he  related  the 
history  of  the  fickle  lover  to  the  blind  man,  who  now 
told  him  his  own  history  in  these  words  : 

TJie  Blind  Man's  Story. 

In  former  times  I  was  a  skilful  geomancer,^  and  one 
day  I  visited  a  tradesman  in  the  town  with  whom  I 
had  some  business,  on  the  conclusion  of  which  he 
requested  me  to  cast  his  horoscope.  I  complied,  and 
it  appeared  that  he  was  to  find  a  treasure.  I  informed 
him  of  this,  but  he  smiled  incredulously  and  said  : 
"  I  am  too  well  acquainted  with  my  own  destitute 

1  "  Darl)  er-Rainal,  or  geomancy,  by  which,  from  certain 
marks  made  at  random  on  paper,  or  on  sand  (whence,  according 
to  some,  its  name),  the  professors  pretend  to  discover  past, 
passing,  and  future  events,  is,  I  am  informed,  mainly  founded  on 
astrology." — Lane's  Modern  Egyptiaiis,  ch.  xii. 


THE  BLIND  MAN'S  STORY.  6i 

condition.  What  you  say  is  impossible,  and  I  cannot 
permit  you  to  jest  at  my  expense."  I  repeated  the 
operation,  and  the  result  being  the  same,  I  swore  that 
there  was  no  joke  at  all  in  the  matter.  Quoth  he  : 
"  Where,  then,  is  this  treasure  ?"  Said  I  :  "In  this 
very  house."  The  door  was  then  locked  and  we  both 
began  to  dig  with  great  energy  until  we  came  upon  a 
large  stone,  which  having  removed,  we  found  that  it 
had  covered  a  well.  After  consultation  it  was  agreed 
that  he  should  go  down  and  I  was  to  remain  above  to 
receive  the  treasure.  Accordingly,  my  friend  having 
provided  himself  with  a  basket,  I  let  him  down  by  a 
rope,  and  when  he  had  filled  the  basket  with  gold,  I 
drew  it  up,  and  thus  we  continued  until  an  immense 
heap  of  gold  and  gems  lay  beside  me.  Then  I 
thought  to  myself:  "It  is  possible  that  if  I  pull  him 
up  again  he  may  try  to  get  rid  of  me,  and  so  deprive 
me  of  my  life  as  well  as  of  a  share  of  this  treasure.  I 
had  better  leave  him  in  the  well,  remove  these  riches 
privily,  and  pass  the  rest  of  my  life  in  comfort."  ^Vhen 
my  friend  found  that  I  did  not  again  lower  the  basket 
he  began  to  suspect  my  design,  and  cried  to  me  from 
the  bottom  of  the  well  :  "  Brother,  do  not  harbour 
any  evil  thoughts  about  me,  for  I  shall  never  forget 
your  kindness,  and  we  shall  make  an  equal  division 
of  the  whole  treasure.  Draw  me  up,  I  beseech  you." 
But  I  would  not  comply,  because  I  considered  that 
a  secret  in  the  possession  of  two  persons  is  soon 
divulged,    and    both    are   disappointed.      I    therefore 


62  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

took  no  notice  of  his  lamentations,  and  was  thinking 
how  I  might  remove  the  treasure  without  the  know- 
ledge of  any  one,  and  concluded  that  the  first  thing 
to  be  done  was  to  cover  up  the  well  so  that  I  should  be 
freed  from  any  apprehensions  concerning  my  partner, 
and  then  carry  off  the  gold  and  silver  by  piecemeal. 
With  these  ideas  I  walked  about  the  house  and 
considered  that  it  would  be  advisable  to  wait  till 
nightfall,  when  I  should  cover  the  well  and  take  away 
a  portion  of  the  treasure.  But  when  the  night  set  in 
it  occurred  to  me  that  I  might  be  attacked  by  robbers 
or  that  some  other  mishap  might  befal  me,  so  I 
thought  it  would  be  more  prudent  to  wait  for  the 
break  of  day,  and  then  with  a  quiet  mind  carry  off 
my  wealth,  and  thus  thinking,  I  fell  asleep. 

Now  my  friend  happened  to  have  a  mortal  enemy 
who  was  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  kill  him,  and 
being  desirous  that  night  of  giving  effect  to  his  purpose 
he  came  to  the  house,  fastened  a  rope  to  the  wall,  and 
by  means  of  it  climbed  to  the  roof,  from  which  he 
descended  into  the  apartment  where  I  was  sleeping. 
The  sound  of  the  man's  footsteps  awoke  me,  and  I 
leapt  up  affrighted,  crying:  "Who  is  there?"  The 
man,  mistaking  me  for  the  owner  of  the  house,  caught 
hold  of  me  and  threw  me  violently  on  the  floor. 
"  Friend,"  said  I,  "  if  you  want  gold  and  silver,  take 
it,  but  spare  my  life."  "  Do  you  wish  to  deceive  me," 
said  the  ruffian,  "  and  escape  by  such  a  subterfuge  ? 
You  are  as  poor  as  a  beggar,  and  I  shall  make  you 


THE  BLIND   MAN'S  STORY.  63 

walk  the  streets  as  one."  Thereupon  he  took  an  awl 
and  piercing  both  my  eyes  with  it  blinded  me  for 
ever,  he  being  in  the  hand  of  Providence  the  instru- 
ment of  punishing  me  for  my  covetousness.  After 
having  thus  avenged  himself  on  his  enemy,  as  he 
thought,  the  man  wished  to  leave  the  house,  but  in 
the  darkness  he  tumbled  into  the  well  and  broke  his 
leg.  The  tradesman,  supposing  it  was  myself  who 
had  thus  fallen  into  the  well,  exclaimed  :  "  Friend, 
you  are  wonderfully  covetous,  and  thereby  have  not 
only  brought  me  to  this  misery  but  have  yourself  now 
become  my  partner  in  misfortune."  But  his  enemy, 
mistaking  him  for  some  one  whom  the  tradesman  had 
thus  confined,  said  to  him  :  "  I  have  punished  the 
man  who  has  imprisoned  you  in  this  well."  Presently, 
however,  he  began  to  cry  out  from  the  pain  occasioned 
by  his  broken  leg,  when  the  tradesman  at  once  dis- 
covered it  was  not  I  who  had  become  his  fellow- 
prisoner.  I  need  hardly  say  that  I  passed  the  night 
in  great  pain  from  my  blinded  eyes. 

Next  day  the  tradesman's  son  returned  home  from 
a  journey  to  foreign  lands,  where  he  had  gained  much 
wealth.  On  entering  the  house  he  was  astonished  to 
find  me  holding  both  my  hands  to  my  eyes  and  a 
heap  of  treasure  by  the  side  of  the  open  well,  and 
to  hear  me  exclaiming :  "  I  was  comfortable  without 
this  treasure,  but  my  covetousness  has  for  ever  de- 
prived me  of  my  sight,"  and  the  lamentations  of  the 
two  men  at  the  bottom  of  the  well.     He  ordered  a 


64  HISTORY  OF  NASSAU. 


slave  to  draw  them  up,  and  to  his  surprise  and  joy 
the  first  to  appear  was  the  young  man's  father,  who 
told  him  all  that  had  occurred,  and  when  the  other 
man  had  also  been  pulled  out,  he  discovered  that 
his  enemy  was  uninjured  and  that  it  was  I  whom 
he  had  blinded.  The  tradesman  forgave  us  both, 
but  his  enemy  died  soon  after  these  occurrences. 

I  was  conveyed  to  this  cave,  and  every  day,  morn- 
ing and  evening,  two  small  loaves  are  thrown  in  to 
me.  I  have  been  in  this  place  many  years,  but  have 
never  ceased  to  repent  of  my  covetousness. 

Hatim,  having  thus  ascertained  the  histories  of  those 
three  men,  at  once  returned  to  the  bountiful  lady  and 
related  them  to  her,  after  which  she  told  him  her  own 
story,  as  she  had  promised  : 

The  Benevolent  Lady's  Story. 

My  father  was  a  wealthy  merchant  of  this  country, 
and  very  intimate  with  all  its  ruling  powers,  until  he 
died,  when  I  inherited  his  property  and  lived  in  com- 
fort. One  day  as  I  was  sitting  at  a  window  I  observed 
a  large  company  of  devotees,  preceded  by  a  man 
reputed  to  be  of  great  sanctity,  who  bore  the  marks 
of  piety  in  his  countenance.  Whenever  he  stopped 
a  chair  was  placed  for  him,  and  the  people  stood 
reverently  around  him,  wiping  with  their  sleeves  the 
dust  from  his  skirts  and  shoes ;  and  in  this  manner 
the  procession  entered  the  city.     Seeing  the  stature 


THE  BENEVOLENT  LADY'S  STORY.  65 

of  that  person  invested  with  the  robe  of  piety  and 
devotion,  I  was  curious  to  ascertain  what  famed  hermit 
or  saint  he  might  be,  and  despatched  a  servant  to 
make  inquiries.  He  returned  soon  and  said:  "This  is 
Mullah  Tamurtash,  the  ascetic,  who  has  in  the  school 
of  abstinence  studied  the  divine  laws  and  performs 
his  devotions  in  the  hermitage  of  Abii  Tuchmah  and 
is  now  come  to  the  city  at  the  invitation  of  the  people 
to  preach  and  pray."  On  learning  this  I  considered  it 
incumbent  on  me  to  pay  a  compliment  to  so  holy  a 
personage,  so  the  next  day  I  made  up  a  few  presents 
and  said  to  a  slave:  "Take  this  to  the  holy  ascetic, 
and  request  his  prayers  for  me  at  the  throne  of  Grace." 
My  messenger  was  received  with  great  kindness,  and 
examined  on  every  circumstance  connected  with  my 
affairs.  During  the  ensuing  night  an  alarm  of  "thieves" 
was  raised  in  my  house,  and  when  I  awoke  I  found 
that  a  number  of  men  had  walked  off  with  all  the 
valuables  they  could  lay  hands  on,  and  I  sent  a  servant 
in  pursuit  of  them  to  discover  where  they  deposited 
my  property.  The  servant  on  his  return  informed  me 
that  everything  had  been  conveyed  to  the  abode  of 
the  ascetic.  I  immediately  proceeded  to  the  king's 
palace  and  stated  my  case  to  him,  but  was  not  a  little 
surprised  to  receive  this  reply :  "  This  foolish  and 
impudent  woman,"  said  the  king,  "  speaks  like  an 
infidel,  and  ought  to  be  expelled  from  the  city  lest 
some  calamity  should  befall  us  on  account  of  her 
wickedness.     To  asperse  the  character  of  a  man  who 


66  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

has  all  his  life  walked  in  the  path  of  virtue  is  enough 
to  call  down  the  wrath  of  God  on  our  own  heads." 
I  was  accordingly  driven  out  of  the  city,  poor  and 
helpless,  and  journeyed  on  foot  till  I  reached  a  village, 
where  I  obtained  shelter  in  the  house  of  a  respectable 
man ;  and  having,  as  my  sole  property,  a  ruby  ring, 
I  managed,  by  means  of  my  host,  to  sell  it  for  ten 
thousand  dirhams,  and  as  one  of  the  agents  of  my 
father  was  established  in  Hindustan  I  determined  to 
go  to  that  country.  Having  purchased  a  camel  and  a 
slave,  I  set  out  on  my  journey  and  in  due  time  arrived 
safely  at  the  house  of  my  father's  agent,  to  whom  I 
related  my  misfortunes.  In  short,  I  remained  some 
time  in  Hindustan  and  engaged  in  commerce,  through 
which  I  accumulated  immense  wealth.  I  then  resolved 
to  return  to  China,  and,  having  provided  myself  with 
seventy  powerful,  valiant,  and  intelligent  slaves  and 
put  on  men's  attire,  proceeded  to  trade  from  town  to 
town  until  I  reached  my  native  city.  I  readily  ob- 
tained an  audience  of  the  king,  to  whom  I  presented  a 
number  of  valuable  gifts,  and  soon  it  was  reported  far 
and  wide  that  a  very  rich  merchant  had  arrived  from 
Hindustan  with  a  great  company  of  attendants.  One 
day  I  gave  a  quantity  of  gold  and  silver  to  a  slave  and 
ordered  him  to  carry  it  to  Tamurtash  the  ascetic,  with 
my  humble  request  that  he  would  remember  me  in 
his  prayers.  At  night  I  ordered  all  my  attendants  to 
arm  themselves  and  to  be  on  the  alert,  but  keep  quiet 
and  concealed.     I  was  not  deceived  in  my  expectation. 


THE  BENEVOLENT  LADY'S  STORY.  67 

for  about  the  middle  of  the  night  the  ascetic  with  his 
followers  came,  and  throwing  ropes  over  the  wall  got 
into  the  courtyard  with  the  design  of  plundering  my 
house.  Suddenly  my  servants  leapt  forth  from  their 
ambush  and  captured  the  ascetic  with  his  forty  accom- 
plices, all  of  whom  I  caused  to  be  confined  in  chains. 
As  soon  as  morning  dawned  I  went  to  the  palace  and 
made  my  statement,  when  the  king  ordered  the  police 
immediately  to  search  for  the  thieves.  "  O  King,"  said 
I,  "  all  the  robbers  are  already  captured,  and  if  you 
will  permit,  I  shall  bring  them  into  your  presence." 
When  the  king  and  his  courtiers  beheld  Tamurtash  the 
ascetic  and  his  disciples  they  were  amazed,  and  the 
king  straightway  caused  them  all  to  be  put  to  death, 
saying  :  "  That  woman  stated  the  truth  the  first  time 
also,  but  we  gave  no  credit  to  her  words  ;  she  has 
suffered  innocently,  and  now  we  have  no  means  to 
make  good  our  error."  But  I  replied,  smihng:  "That 
poor  woman  am  I,  O  King,"  and  related  the  whole 
affair.  The  king  approved  of  what  I  had  done,  and 
made  over  to  me  all  the  property  of  the  ascetic. ^ 

1  In  the  East,  as  in  the  West,  religion  is  often  assumed  as 
a  cloak  of  villainy ;  and  the  half-naked  darveshes  who  prowl 
through  Muslim  towns  and  villages,  blowing  their  horns  and 
bellowing  their  eternal  "hakk  !  hakk  !"  are  for  the  most  part 
lewd  rascals  ;  and  not  a  whit  better  are  most  of  those  who  affect 
to  live  as  hermits.  Muhammed  said  that  "  there  is  no  monkery 
in  Islam,"  which  is  true  in  one  respect,  viz.,  that  while  a  monk 
must  remain  a  monk  all  his  life,  a  darvesh  may  at  any  time  toss 
away  his  begging-bowl  and  return  to  his  former  station  in  society. 


68  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

"  Now,  my  friend,"  continued  the  lady,  "  years 
have  passed  since  I  commenced  to  bestow  the  most 
abundant  gifts  from  that  property,  and  no  diminution 
appears  in  it.  But  in  spite  of  all  my  liberality  my 
fame  is  not  known  beyond  this  country,  while  that  of 
Hatim  is  patent  and  manifest  in  the  world  like  the 
sun.  You  have  promised  to  bring  me  the  head  of 
Hatim,  but  you  have  not  kept  your  word."  Hatim 
answered  :  "  I  am  myself  Hatim,  and  my  head  is  at 
your  disposal,"  and  drawing  his  sword  he  laid  it 
before  the  lady.  She  was  greatly  moved  and  said  : 
"  True  greatness  consists  not  merely  in  liberality  but 
in  hazarding  our  lives  for  those  of  our  friends,  and 
that  you  have  done.  The  pre-eminence  is  therefore 
yours.  Hitherto  I  have  abstained  from  accepting 
the  addresses  of  any  man,  but  your  beauty  and 
liberality  induce  me  to  offer  you  my  hand."  Hatim 
was  highly  pleased,  drew  the  hand  of  response  over 
the  eyes  of  acquiescence,  married  her,  and  lived 
with  her  happily  for  many  years  until  they  were 
parted  by  death. 

When  Khayrandish  had  ended  this  tale  he  said  to 
Nassar :  "I  have  related  these  stories  to  impress  on 
your  mind  the  fact  that  whoever  abandons  the  reins 
of  his  heart  to  the  promptings  of  foolish  illusions,  and 
the  vain  imaginings  of  his  animal  passions,  will  fare 
like  the  Painter,  the  Washerman,  and  the  Blind  Man, 
will  reap  only  disappointment,  carry  on  his  back  the 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  R'ASHARKASHA.  69 

load  of  bitter  memories,  and  during  his  whole  hfe  taste 
nothing  but  the  beverage  of  shame  and  repentance." 

Third  Advice. 
"  Although  Fortune  may  smile  on  a  man,"  con- 
tinued Khayrandish,  "and  distinguish  him  above  his 
peers,  he  should  be  provident  and  prudent,  and  must 
not  despise  the  counsel  of  his  friends.  He  must  also 
be  on  his  guard  against  enemies,  else  he  will,  like 
Kasharkasha  the  son  of  the  king  of  Fars,^  fall  into 
the  power  of  his  foes,  and  the  rose-grove  of  his 
contentment  will  be  withered  by  the  autumn  of  grief, 
and  all  his  life  he  will  be  a  wanderer  in  the  deserts 
of  repentance."  Nassar  asked:  "How  was  that?" 
And   Khayrandish  began  to  relate  the 

Story  of  Prince  Kasharkasha. 
There  was  a  king  of  Fars  called  F'aridun-  who  had  a 
son  named  Kasharkasha,  whom  he  educated  and  kept 
with  himself  till  he  was  seventy  years  old.  The  young 
prince  then,  wishing  to  visit  India,  said  to  his  father : 
"  Since  travel  enlightens  the  understanding  and  entails 

1  Fars,  or  Farsistan,  is  a  province  of  Persia,  the  capital  of 
which  is  Shiraz,  so  much  celebrated  by  Hafiz  and  other  Persian 
poets.  As  the  NeapoHtans  have  their  favourite  saying,  ' '  See 
Naples,  and  die,"  so  the  Persians  say  that  "If  Muhammed  had 
tasted  the  pleasures  of  Shiraz,  he  would  have  Isegged  Allah  to 
make  him  immortal  there." 

2  This  monarch  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  that  Faridiin 
who  was  the  sixth  of  the  first  dynasty  (Pishdadi)  of  ancient 
Persian  kings. 


70  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

experience,  it  is  my  desire  to  wander  by  land  and  sea 
in  the  capacity  of  a  merchant."  Quoth  the  king  : 
"  Beloved  son,  I  would  please  you  in  all  things,  but 
separation  from  you  will  break  my  heart,  and  I  am 
unwilling  to  part  with  you."  But  neither  these  words 
nor  any  other  entreaties  could  induce  the  prince  to 
forego  his  purpose,  and  he  was  at  last  allowed  to 
depart.  His  father  gave  him  abundance  of  money 
and  a  number  of  faithful  attendants,  and  said  to  him  : 
"  Travelling,  my  son,  is  often  attended  by  misfortunes; 
and  in  case  you  should  fall  into  distress,  I  advise  you 
to  visit  the  merchant  SaduUah,  who  lives  in  Baghdad, 
and  is  greatly  devoted  to  and  willing  to  do  anything 
for  me."  Then  giving  his  seal-ring  to  Kasharkasha 
he  added :  "  Show  Sadullah  this  signet  as  a  voucher 
for  your  family  and  connections."^ 

Kasharkasha  bade  adieu  to  his  father,  assumed  the 
dress  of  a  merchant,  and  journeyed  to  India,  where 
he  acquired  large  profits  by  commerce,  and  then 
■  went  to  the  country  of  the  Franks,  and  became 
so  rich  that  he  bought  a  thousand  Indian  and 
Turkish  slaves,  who  constantly  waited  on  him.  But 
a  craving  for  dominion  and  power  is  inherent  in 
the   nature   of  all   scions   of  royalty,    and    therefore 

1  Signet-rings  were  commonly  used  throughout  the  East  from 
the  earliest  period  of  which  any  records  have  been  preserved. 
When  a  king  gave  his  signet  to  any  one  he  was  thereby  em- 
powered to  act  in  the  king's  name.  Thus  in  the  Book  of  Esther 
we  read  that  King  Ahasuerus  took  his  ring  from  off  his  finger 
and  gave  it  first  to  Haman  and  afterwards  to  Mordecai. 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  KASHARR'ASHA.  71 

all  Kasharkasha's  great  wealth  could  not  satisfy  him, 
and  he  coveted  a  crown.  He  said  to  himself: 
"Every  undertaking  must  succeed  if  the  proper  means 
be  employed  in  its  pursuit.  iV  kingdom  is  gained  by 
valour  and  a  good  army ;  and,  thanks  be  to  God,  I 
possess  both,  and  prosperity  will  second  my  efforts. 
Indeed,  which  of  my  ancestors  ever  debased  himself 
by  trading  ?  I  cannot  live  in  such  an  unworthy 
manner ;  for  voluntarily  to  descend  from  a  high  to  a 
lower  position  is  against  common  sense  and  betokens 
a  mean  disposition.  In  these  regions  there  are  many 
towns  and  principalities  which  I  may  easily  conquer, 
and  in  truth  most  of  the  royal  personages  who  attained 
great  fame  began  only  on  a  small  scale  and  enlarged 
their  possessions  by  degrees."  After  this  Kasharkasha 
travelled  from  place  to  place  in  the  country  of  the 
Franks,  seeking  for  an  opportunity  to  carry  out  his 
design.  One  day  he  approached  a  great  city,  and 
beheld  an  army  composed  entirely  of  cavalr}-,  which 
belonged  to  the  king  of  the  city,  who,  on  discovering 
the  squadron  of  Kasharkasha,  imagined  it  to  be  that 
of  an  enemy  and  sent  a  messenger  to  make  inquiries. 
The  young  prince  stated  to  the  envoy  that  he  was  a 
merchant  from  Hindustan,  and  in  his  turn  asked 
some  questions,  to  which  the  envoy  replied  :  "  This 
is  Tytmyran,  and  this  is  the  Jalyak  of  Tytmyran,  who 
is  on  a  hunting  excursion."  When  the  messenger 
returned  with  the  answer  of  the  young  prince,  the 
Jalyak  of  Tytmyran  rode  to  visit  Kasharkasha,  who 


72  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

met  him  half-way  and  saluted  him  courteously,  because 
the  lamp  of  politeness  emits  so  great  a  glare  as  to 
conceal  and  overshadow  any  plans  that  men  harbour 
in  their  minds. 

On  seeing  the  courteous  demeanour  of  Kasharkasha 
the  Jalyak  at  once  concluded  that  he  could  not 
but  be  of  lofty  birth,  and  invited  him  to  make  an 
excursion  into  the  surrounding  country.  The  young 
prince  gracefully  complied,  and  their  intimacy  in- 
creased more  and  more  during  the  day.  They  came 
to  a  high  building,  near  which  the  king  alighted, 
and  went  into  it.  After  a  short  space  he  again 
came  out,  and  in  tears.  Kasharkasha  asked  the  cause 
of  his  grief,  but  the  king  replied  that  on  another 
occasion  he  would  acquaint  him  with  the  particulars. 
When  they  entered  the  city  a  suitable  place  was 
assigned  to  the  young  prince  and  his  followers, 
and  the  king  taking  the  hand  of  Kasharkasha  thus 
addressed  him  :  "  Every  man  bears  in  his  countenance 
signs  of  his  character,  and  in  our  first  interview 
I  discovered  you  to  be  of  noble  descent  and  the 
scion  of  a  royal  family.  I  also  had  a  son  of  extra- 
ordinary beauty  and  accomplishments.  He  was  very 
fond  of  hunting  and  roaming  everywhere,  and  once 
he  took  leave  of  me  for  two  months  and  departed 
with  a  number  of  trustworthy  attendants.  I  counted 
the  days  of  his  absence  impatiently,  and  when  the 
time  for  his  return  elapsed  I  dreaded  that  some 
misfortune  had  befallen  my  son,  and  despatched  some 


STORY  OF  FRINGE  KASHARKASHA.  73 

of  my  officers  in  search  of  him,  all  of  whom  returned 
without  success.  I  was  so  oveq^owered  by  melancholy 
that  I  wept  day  and  night,  until  at  last,  after  a  whole 
year  had  passed,  my  son  made  his  appearance  quite 
alone,  in  a  destitute  condition  and  almost  naked. 
As  soon  as  I  saw  him  I  exclaimed  :  '  Beloved  son, 
how  has  the  dust  of  this  languidness  settled  on 
the  skirts  of  your  happy  disposition  ?  and  how  has 
your  beauty  faded?  What  has  become  of  your 
servants  and  goods?' 

"  My  son  replied  :  '  Dear  father,  my  heart  suffers 
from  a  wound  which  no  medicine  can  cure.  Do 
not  ask  me  any  questions,  because  my  case  is  a 
sad  one.'  Then  he  took  from  his  bosom  a  portrait, 
which  he  contemplated,  saying : 

'  When  I  began  to  worship  the  person  of  my  love, 
My  soul  ascended  to  my  lips  and  I  lost  my  peace. 
A  ray  of  love's  favour  had  alighted  on  my  head, 
But,  alas  !  I  have  lost  my  love  !' 

'Dear  father,'  he  continued,  'after  we  embarked  in 
our  boat  we  sailed  pleasantly  for  almost  a  week, 
when  a  contrary  wind  arose  and  we  lost  all  control 
over  our  vessel.  Thus  we  were  tossed  about  during 
forty  days,  when  the  tempest  ceased  and  we  came 
in  sight  of  land.  We  made  haste  to  go  on  shore, 
but  we  knew  not  to  what  country  or  nation  it 
'belonged.  We  strolled  about  and  came  to  a  beautiful 
meadow  luxuriant  with  vegetation,  where  we  hunted 
and   thus   advanced   till    we    arrived   at  a   cultivated 


74  ■  HISTOR  V  OF  NASSAR. 

tract  of  land  in  which  was  a  magnificent  palace. 
On  asking  a  man  for  information  regarding  this 
country  he  answered:  "You  are  in  Kashmir,  and 
that  palace  is  the  abode  of  the  daughter  of  Khoja 
Fayssur,  the  vazir  of  Kashmir.  She  is  wont  to 
pass  a  few  months  here  every  year  during  the 
season  of  flowers."  In  one  of  my  rambles  I  chanced 
to  meet  a  lady  of  exquisite  beauty,  and  though  I 
had  fallen  in  love  with  her  I  did  not  dare  to  address 
her,  but  sent  her  a  fervent  declaration  of  my  love 
through  an  old  woman,  requesting  the  favour  of 
an  interview.  The  reply  which  I  received  was  most 
discouraging ;  nevertheless  I  continued  my  rambles 
in  the  grounds  of  the  palace  to  enjoy  the  happiness 
of  an  occasional  glance  at  my  idol.  While  I  was 
thus  standing  one  day,  she  dropped  a  paper  from 
above,  and  on  opening  it  I  found  it  contained  her 
portrait.  This  was  a  great  joy  to  me,  but  it  was 
soon  turned  to  grief  when  I  heard  that  the  lady 
had  departed  to  the  city.  I  could  do  nothing  better 
than  follow  her  and  endeavour  to  obtain  a  meeting. 
At  last  my  passion  became  a  mania,  and  as  I 
cared  nothing  for  money  affairs  my  attendants 
gradually  deserted  me,  so  that  I  was  at  last  left  alone 
and  fell  into  a  state  of  the  utmost  destitution.  The 
dominant  idea,  however,  still  supported  me  that  I 
should  yet  be  happy  although  at  present  a  houseless 
beggar  in  the  streets.  One  night  the  police  were 
about   to   seize   me,    but    I    ran   off   at    the    top    of 


STQRY  OF  PRINCE  KASHARR'ASHA.  75 

my  speed  and  sought  refuge  in  a  house,  exclaiming  : 
"Is  there  anyone  here  who  possesses  kindness  enough 
to  save  a  man  from  the  whirlpool  of  misery?"  A 
person  opened  the  door  and  admitted  me,  saying : 
"Rest  yourself  here  this  night,  and  trust  in  the 
mercy  of  God."  I  was  tired  and  reclined  against 
the  wall,  when  suddenly  I  heard  the  tones  of  a 
harp  and  of  a  woman's  voice  in  the  adjoining 
apartment,  and  my  curiosity  prompted  me  to  look 
through  an  aperture  at  the  scene.  I  beheld  a  hiiri- 
like  maiden  playing  on  a  harp  and  warbling  like 
a  nightingale.  The  amorous  melody  and  the  tones 
of  the  instrument  produced  such  an  enervating  effect 
on  me  that  I  could  no  longer  stand,  and  falling 
on  the  floor,  which  was  of  weak  construction,  it  gave 
way  and  I  was  precipitated  with  it  on  the  master 
of  the  house,  who  was  sitting  in  the  room  below, 
and  he  was  killed  on  the  spot.  The  girl  who  had 
been  singing  rose  up  and  cried :  "  A  robber  has 
killed  my  master ! "  This  soon  brought  all  the 
neighbours  into  the  house:  they  instantly  seized  and 
bound  me,  and  gave  me  so  many  blows  that  my 
whole  body  was  a  mass  of  bruises.  Then  I  was 
dragged  before  the  Amir,  who  ordered  me  to  be 
taken  to  prison.  It  chanced  that  the  jailer  was  a 
man  who  had  formerly  been  in  my  service,  and  he 
burst  into  tears  on  seeing  me  in  such  a  condition. 
When  I  had  informed  him  of  my  reason  for  coming 
to   Kashmir  and  of  the  unhappy  accident,  he   said  : 


76  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

"  Fear  nothing — you  are  safe."  He  dressed  me  in 
other  clothes  and  sent  me  out  to  a  friend  of  his 
own ;  while  he  put  my  garments  on  the  corpse  of 
a  man  who  had  died  that  day  and  been  buried 
in  the  cemetery.  When  the  police  came  in  the 
morning  to  take  me  before  the  Amir  to  be  beheaded, 
they  w^ere  disappointed,  and  reported  that  the  culprit 
had  been  so  severely  beaten  on  being  captured  that 
he  had  died  during  the  night.  The  Amir  remarked  : 
"  If  the  man  was  innocent,  the  guilt  of  his  death 
cannot  be  attached  to  me,"  to  which  the  chief  of 
the  police  rejoined  :  "  That  is  true ;  but  the  people 
had  no  right  to  kill  the  man.  This  affair  ought 
not  to  be  lightly  regarded,  for  those  who  beat  him 
are  guilty  of  murder."  The  Amir  then  ordered  him 
to  carefully  investigate  the  whole  affair.  Accordingly 
the  chief  of  the  police  assembled  all  the  inhabitants  of 
that  quarter  of  the  town,  intending  to  fine  each 
one  of  them  in  a  sum  of  money,  and  having  caused 
the  corpse  to  be  brought  before  him,  he  said  :  "  Ye 
impudent  fellows,  how  many  kings  or  governments 
are  in  this  city?"  They  replied:  "One."  He  con- 
tinued :  "  If  there  be  but  one  king  here,  why  have 
you  taken  justice  in  your  own  hand  and  killed  this 
man?"  The  people  asked  in  amazement:  "Whom 
have  we  killed?"  "This  man,"  said  he,  "who  was' 
captured  on  suspicion  of  being  a  robber  and  whom 
you  have  ill-treated  so  as  to  cause  his  death."  But 
when   the    people    looked    at    the    dead    man    they 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  KASHARKASHA.  77 


declared  :  "  This  is  not  the  robber  whom  we  seized 
and  beat.  He  was  a  young  man  of  fair  complexion 
and  having  black  hair ;  of  strong  make  and  healthy 
appearance.  This  is  the  body  of  a  man  who  was 
of  middle  age  and  sickly ;  we  know  not  who  has 
killed  him."  Quoth  the  superintendent:  "There 
is  no  use  in  denying  the  matter,"  and  he  called  for 
the  instruments  of  torture  for  the  purpose  of  eliciting 
a  confession ;  when  one  of  the  bystanders,  having 
examined  the  features  of  the  corpse,  suddenly  cried 
out :  "  This  is  my  father,  Khoja  Fays,  the  gladiator, 
who  not  long  since  performed  before  the  Amir  of 
Kabul,  and  returning  home,  drank  some  arrack,  which 
gave  him  the  colic,  so  that  he  was  obliged  to  take 
to  his  bed.  He  was  visited  by  some  friends,  who 
advised  him  to  send  for  Ratyl  the  glazier,  who  is 
so  famed  for  his  skill  that  he  excels  all  the  physicians 
of  the  age.  I  brought  him  to  the  bedside  of  my 
father,  and  he  prescribed  something  which  was  of 
no  avail :  my  father  died,  and  we  buried  him.'" 
Here  the  superintendent  exclaimed :  "  You  stupid 
fellow,  who  asked  for  your  testimony?"  But  the  man 
would  not  submit  to  be  brow-beaten,  and  said : 
"  See  what  our  chief  of  police  has  come  to  !  For  the 
sake  of  gain  he  takes  believers  who  have  died  out 
of  their  graves  !  I  shall  at  once  bring  the  doctor^ 
the  muezzin,  the  grave-digger,  and  the  mullah.  To- 
morrow we  shall  bring  the  affair  before  the  Amir, 
and  you,   ni}-  friends,   will    be    my   witnesses.     Come 


78  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

with  me."  A  number  of  persons  followed  him,  which 
vexed  the  superintendent,  who  said  to  those  that  still 
remained  :  "  Do  not  be  deceived  by  the  ravings  of 
that  fool ;  for  I  shall  not  let  you  escape  without 
a  fine."  At  these  words  another  section  of  the  crowd 
became  excited  and  cried:  "The  superintendent 
is  in  league  wath  a  pack  of  scoundrels  whom  he 
sends  out  in  the  night  to  rob  people,  and  gets  his 
share  of  the  plunder.  When  any  robbers  are  caught 
he  allows  them  to  escape,  and  in  their  stead  he 
substitutes  disinterred  corpses.  Is  there  no  king 
in  this  place?  Is  it  not  enough  that  one  of  us 
was  killed,  and  now  we  are  to  pay  a  fine  besides?" 
Just  then  the  son  of  the  dead  man  returned  with 
his  witnesses,  all  of  whom  accused  the  superintendent, 
who,  however,  was  supported  by  his  own  officers 
and  another  crowd  of  armed  men  ;  so  that  presently 
both  parties  came  to  blows,  blood  was  shed,  and 
several  men  were  killed  and  wounded.  AVhen  the 
Amir  heard  that  the  superintendent  was  the  cause  of 
the  disturbance,  he  was  displeased,  and  his  enemies 
so  worked  on  the  mind  of  the  Amir  that  the  super- 
intendent was  ordered  to  be  hanged  and  the  jailer 
who  had  saved  my  life  was  installed  in  his  place. 
One  day  after  these  occurrences  I  perceived  a  mul- 
titude of  people  assembled  in  the  streets  and  asked 
the  cause  of  my  friend,  the  new  chief  of  police. 
His  answer  was:  "To-day  the  daughter  of  the  vazi'r 
has  died,  and  all  this  popular  excitement  is  on  that 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  KASHARKASHA.  79 

account."  This  news  upset  all  my  hopes  and  I  at 
once  quitted  my  friend's  house  and  journeyed  till  I 
came  to  the  sea-shore  where  I  found  some  men  em- 
barking for  the  country  of  the  Franks;  I  accompanied 
them,  and  finally  arrived  here.' 

"When  my  son  had  ended  his  recital,"  continued 
the  king,  "  he  sighed  heavily  and  added  :  '  Beloved 
father,  as  a  dutiful  son  I  should  have  obeyed  and 
never  left  you,  and  thus  I  should  not  have  fallen  into 
the  misery  I  endure.  I  beseech  you  to  sweep  away 
my  transgressions  with  the  besom  of  kindness,  and  to 
wash  away  the  filth  of  my  sins  with  the  limpid  stream 
of  pardon.'  Having  uttered  these  words  he  expired. 
My  grief  for  him  can  never  be  appeased,  and  the 
edifice  from  which  I  came  out  weeping  is  his  tomb. 
As  I  have  now  no  son,  I  often  wonder  which  of  my 
enemies  will  succeed  to  my  kingdom  when  I  am  no 
more.  You  are,  I  am  sure,  a  man  of  noble  blood  and 
good  disposition.  May  I  request  you  to  acquaint  me 
with  your  affairs?"  Kasharkasha  most  willingly  com- 
plied, and  when  he  had  concluded,  the  king  spoke  as 
follows  :  "I  am  prosperous  in  all  things  and  respected 
by  friend  and  foe.  But  I  have  passed  the  meridian 
of  life,  and  purpose  devoting  the  remainder  of  it  to 
the  duties  I  owe  to  my  Creator.  And  though  I  have 
meditated  about  and  sought  for  some  one  who  might 
take  upon  himself  a  portion  of  my  royal  affairs  and  be 
a  companion  of  my  solitude,  I  have  found  none  so 
worthy  as  yourself"     As    Kasharkasha  was  ardently 


8o  HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 

wishing  for  such  a  high  station,  he  joyfully  replied : 
"  May  the  beautiful  leaves  of  the  king's  book  of  life 
never  be  scattered  as  long  as  the  world-illuming  sun 
moves  in  the  firmament !  I  am  ready  to  obey  your 
commands."  Accordingly  the  Amir  assembled  the 
grandees  of  his  kingdom  and  spake  to  them  thus  : 
"  I  inform  you  that  this  royal  prince,  Kasharkasha, 
who  has  dwelt  for  some  time  in  this  city,  is  by  me 
appointed  to  be  my  successor,  as  I  have  no  heir. 
Therefore  I  desire  every  one  who  loves  and  obeys  me 
to  obey  him  likewise."  All  the  vazi'rs  and  grandees 
drew  the  finger  of  acquiescence  over  the  eyes  of 
affirmation,  and  the  Amir  dressed  the  prince  in  the 
costly  robe  of  a  viceroy  and  said  to  him :  "  Dear 
friend,  I  have  seven  vazirs,  yet  I  trust  the  direction 
of  all  important  affairs  to  Khoja  Bihriiz,  whose  sin- 
cere friendship  I  have  tried  on  the  touchstone  of 
experience  and  never  discovered  a  flaw  in  his  noble 
character.  Therefore,  though  you  are  endowed  with 
the  innate  sagacity  of  noble  personages,  as  you  are 
not  familiar  with  the  laws  and  customs  of  this  country, 
I  recommend  you  never  to  act  without  his  advice,  in 
order  that  the  affairs  of  our  kingdom  may  prosper." 
Then  the  Jalydk  divorced  the  bride  of  royalty,  married 
her  to  Kasharkasha,  and  retired  to  a  corner  of  repose.^ 

1  In  other  words,  the  king  resigned  his  throne  in  favour  of  the 
prince.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  common  practice  for  Oriental 
potentates,  at  a  certain  period  of  life,  to  retire  from  the  cares  of 
state  and  turn  ascetics — which  was  very  proper,  if  all  the  tales  be 
true  of  their  sanguinary  doings  ! 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  KASHARKASHA.  8i 

Kasharkasha,  who  had  been  so  greatly  favoured  by 
his  good  luck,  without  any  efforts  on  his  own  part,  sat 
very  joyfully  on  the  throne  of  dignity  and  power,  when, 
by  the  decree  of  Providence,  the  Jalyak  was  removed 
from  this  terrestrial  abode ;  and  as  the  desire  of  self- 
aggrandisement,  coupled  with  unlimited  dominion, 
destroys  contentment  and  begets  an  inordinate  long- 
ing for  greater  power,  Kasharkasha  indulged  in 
ambitious  schemes  and  resolved  to  conquer  some 
of  the  neighbouring  kingdoms.  On  this  project  he 
consulted  all  his  vazirs,  who  readily  approved  of  it, 
and  even  still  more  inflamed  his  ambition.  When 
the  turn  of  Bihruz  came  he  said  :  "  May  the  ready- 
money  of  prosperity  be  always  present  in  the  treasury 
of  the  hopes  of  the  king,  and  may  the  joyful  season  of 
perpetual  spring  always  gladden  his  heart !  This  is 
not  the  time  for  attack,  but  rather  for  defence.  Many 
potentates  of  the  country  of  the  Franks  have  attempted 
to  conquer  this  land  ;  they  came  with  countless  hosts, 
but  were  all  repulsed  by  the  Jalyak,  whose  fame  is  yet 
remembered  among  them  :  soon,  however,  they  will 
learn  of  the  change  which  has  taken  place,  and  your 
majesty  will  have  enough  to  do  in  warding  off  their 
attacks."  Kasharkasha  paid  no  attention  to  this 
warning,  and,  confiding  in  the  approbation  of  all  the 
other  vazirs,  he  marched  to  Rami,  which  is  a  country 
belonging  to  the  Franks,  and  when  he  arrived  there 
he  halted,  and  despatched  the  following  letter  to 
Futtal  Shah,  the  king  of  Rami : 

G 


82  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

"  The  title-ornament  of  this  epistle  is  the  name  of 
that  Sovereign  of  the  volume  of  whose  world-adorning 
book  of  omnipotence  of  existence  of  all  creatures  is 
but  one  dot.  Secondly,  as  all  nations  of  men  are 
connected  by  the  sameness  of  their  species,  and  as  it 
is  incumbent  upon  the  mighty  to  protect  the  feeble ; 
and  if  they  treat  their  subjects  well  they  will  reap 
blessings ;  therefore  we  send  you  our  kind  salutations, 
and  inform  you  that  as  it  is  our  intention  to  hunt  in 
these  regions,  and  as  you  would  be  unable  to  endure 
the  brightness  of  our  countenance,  even  as  a  bat 
cannot  look  at  the  sun,  and  we  fear  that  if  you  were 
to  behold  a  part  of  our  army  and  warlike  preparations, 
bodily  and  mental  diseases  might  befall  you ; — we 
advise  you  to  surrender  the  keys  of  your  fortress  to 
the  bearer  of  this  letter,  on  pain  of  incurring  our 
displeasure." 

Futtal  Shcih  read  the  letter  and  returned  his  answer 
as  follows :  "  We  were  astonished  at  the  folly  and 
presumption  of  your  missive,  and  defy  you  to  do 
your  worst."  After  despatching  these  lines  the  king 
hastened  out  with  his  forces  to  attack  Kasharkasha, 
who  had  in  the  meanwhile  received  information  from 
his  spies  that  in  his  rear  another  king  of  the  Frank 
country  was  in  ambush.  He  was  considering  how  to 
act  with  one  enemy  in  front  and  another  in  his  rear 
when  the  countless  hosts  of  Futtal  Shah  came  in 
sight,  and  there  was  no  option  but  to  await  the  issue. 
The  enemy  advanced,  attacked  Kasharkasha,  and  the 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  KASHARKASHA.  83 


battle  raged  fiercely,  for  both  armies  fought  with  great 
bravery;  at  last,  however,  Futtal  Shah  prevailed  and 
Kasharkasha  fled.  In  the  morning  he  was  a  king, 
and  in  the  evening  a  beggar,  fleeing  from  his 
pursuers.  On  the  second  day  his  horse  was  so  ex- 
hausted that  he  was  obliged  to  walk  on  foot  until  he 
arrived  at  a  spring,  where  having  quenched  his  thirst 
he  lay  down  and  slept.  K  shepherd  who  had  been 
searching  for  a  lost  sheep  happened  to  come  to  the 
spot,  and  seeing  a  young  man  in  costly  garments 
stretched  at  full  length,  his  covetousness  induced 
him  to  throw  a  stone,  which,  however,  missed  the 
intended  victim.  Kasharkasha  jumped  up,  and  seeing 
a  man  of  helpless  appearance  he  asked:  "Who 
are  you?"  The  man  replied:  "I  am  a  shepherd. 
AVho  are  you  yourself?  and  what  right  have  you 
at  the  spring  where  I  daily  water  the  sheep  of  the 
king?  Your  inauspicious  presence  here  has  caused 
the  water  to  become  muddy.  All  my  sheep  are 
scattered  over  the  desert,  and  how  shall  I  answer  for 
them  to  the  king?"  So  saying,  he  suddenly  leapt 
on  Kasharkasha,  divested  him  of  his  fine  clothes  and 
left  him  his  own  rags  in  exchange ;  then  tying  both 
the  hands  and  feet  of  the  prince,  he  went  his  way. 
After  Futtal  Shah  had  won  the  battle,  captured 
the  army  of  his  foe,  and  plundered  his  treasury, 
he  could  find  no  trace  of  Kasharkasha ;  so  he  sent 
off  a  number  of  men  in  search  of  him,  some  of 
whom  arrived  at  the  spring,  and  discovering  a  man 


HISTORY  OF  MASS  A  R. 


there  with  his  hands  and  feet  tied,  asked  him  who 
he  was.  Kasharkasha  guessed  they  were  servants 
of  Futtal  Shah  who  had  come  to  look  for  him,  and 
rephed :  "  I  am  a  shepherd,  and  came  here  with 
my  flock,  when  a  young  man,  from  whose  forehead 
the  marks  of  royalty  radiated,  approached  and  asked 
me  for  a  sheep,  but  I  said  they  all  belonged  to 
the  king  and  I  was  not  at  liberty  to  dispose  of 
any  of  them.  Upon  this  he  became  so  incensed 
that  he  tied  my  hands  and  feet  and  then  walked 
off  with  a  sheep.  Since  you  have  arrived  here  so 
opportunely,  I  request  you  to  liberate  me  from  my 
bonds."  The  men  believed  that  he  had  given  them 
information  about  Kasharkasha,  so  they  loosed  him, 
and  giving  him  some  food,  hastened  off  in  search 
of  the  fugitive.  For  this  lucky  escape  Kasharkasha 
thanked  the  Most  High,  and  speeding  to  a  mountain 
not  far  from  the  spring,  he  found  there  refuge  in 
a  cave. 

Meanwhile  the  emissaries  of  Futtal  Shah  were 
scouring  the  plain  and  at  length  caught  sight  of 
the  shepherd  while  he  was  trying  to  catch  the 
horse  of  Kasharkasha.  They  said  to  each  other : 
"We  must  not  allow  him  to  get  at  the  horse;" 
and  when  the  shepherd  perceived  that  they  meant 
to  seize  him  he  thought  that  they  were  the  servants 
of  Kasharkasha  who  had  come  in  pursuit  of  him,  so 
he  cried  out :  "  My  good  friends,  I  have  committed 
an  error.     I  hope  you  will  pardon  my  transgression  ; " 


STORY  OF  PRINCE   KASHARKASHA.  85 

and  he  began  to  undress  himself.  But  they  replied  : 
''  Kasharkasha,  we  are  not  such  fools  as  to  let  you 
go  if  you  give  us  your  clothes.  We  have  been  in 
quest  of  you  for  the  last  three  or  four  days  and 
have  taken  no  rest.  Your  garments  alone  cannot 
reward  our  pains,  and  Futtal  Shah  will  require  an 
account  of  you ;  so  come  along  with  us."  Quoth 
the  shepherd  :  "  The  affair  between  your  master  and 
me  has  only  taken  place  to-day ;  why  should  you 
be  seeking  me  these  three  or  four  days?"  The 
pursuers  said  to  one  another :  "  He  has  lost  his 
kingdom  and  become  crazy.  We  must  convey  him 
at  once  to  our  king."  On  hearing  these  words  the 
shepherd  wished  to  make  use  of  the  sword  of  Kashar- 
kasha, but  being  too  awkward  to  do  so,  he  threw 
it  on  the  ground  and  wielded  his  own  staff"  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  kill  one  of  his  captors,  when  the 
others  closed  round  him,  tied  his  hands,  and  set  him 
on  a  horse,  saying :  "  Kasharhasha,  do  not  struggle 
now  that  the  boat  of  your  prosperity  has  become 
a  wreck  and  is  sunk  into  the  ocean  of  misfortune, 
for  it  will  be  of  no  use."  Quoth  the  shepherd : 
"I  swear  by  the  souls  of  Pir  Siah  Posh,  Bajdk, 
Baba  Ali  Mest,  and  Mezar  Mongal,  that  I  had  no 
idea  he  was  a  king.  My  covetousness  induced  me 
to  rob  him  of  his  clothes ;  I  hope  you  will  pardon 
my  incivility."  "You  simulate  folly,"  they  replied. 
"Do  you  not  remember  that  you  wrote  a  letter 
to   the  king,   and  after  marching   with    so    large   an 


86  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

army  against  him  do  you  not  know  that  he  is  a 
sovereign  ?  You  say  that  you  have  robbed  him  of 
his  clothes ;  but  these  words  are  very  silly,  considering 
that  you  were  of  elegaat  speech  and  great  intellect, 
and  that  you  sat  on  a  royal  throne."  "You  are 
talking  book-words,"  said  the  shepherd :  "  I  have 
never  learned  to  read — what  do  I  know  about  letters 
and  armies  ?  I  have  done  no  farther  harm  than  taken 
his  clothes.  Besides,  it  is  not  usual  for  kings  to  come 
into  the  desert  alone  and  on  foot.  As  it  is,  he 
might  have  met  with  a  worse  man  than  myself,  who 
would  have  killed  him.  I  beseech  you,  for  God's 
sake,  take  the  clothes  and  let  me  go  ;  because  there 
is  no  one  to  take  care  of  my  sheep,  and  if  anything 
happen  to  them  I  shall  have  to  atone  for  it  by  the 
loss  of  all  that  I  possess."  The  men  now  looked  at 
each  other  and  smiled.  They  then  said  :  "  Kashar- 
kasha,  if  you  have  gone  mad  on  account  of  the  loss 
of  your  kingdom  it  is  no  wonder,  but  it  is  a  marvel 
that  you  are  still  alive."  Quoth  the  shepherd  :  "Why 
have  you  changed  my  name  ?  I  am  called  Kallam 
ed-I)in  Ahmed  and  you  hail  me  always  by  the  name 
of  Kasharkasha.  Perhaps  you  mean  to  sell  me  ?" 
While  they  were  thus  going  along,  talking  and 
laughing,  they  came  to  a  small  village,  some  of  the 
inhabitants  of  which  recognised  the  shepherd  and 
asked  him:  "Where  have  you  got  these  fine  clothes? 
Who  are  these  men  ?  Why  have  they  tied  your 
hands?"     He  said:  "I  have  robbed  a  man  of  these 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  KASHA KA'ASHA.  87 

clothes,  and  these  men  have  caught  me  and  are 
taking  me  to  the  king.  I  am  willing  to  abandon  the 
clothes  but  they  will  not  abandon  me.  I  beseech 
you,  by  the  favour  of  Pir  Muhammed  Jendah  Poosh, 
to  give  them  anything  they  ask  for  my  freedom,  and 
I  shall  repay  you  in  goats."  Several  of  the  headmen 
of  the  village  now  stepped  forward  and  addressed 
the  king's  messengers:  "Good  friends,  Kallam  ed-Din 
Ahmed  confesses  his  fault,  and  he  has  acted  wrongly. 
But  of  what  use  would  it  be  to  take  him  before  the 
king?  We  have  agreed  to  prepare  a  good  roast  for 
you  if  you  will  let  him  go."  But  they  laughed  and 
said:  "This  is  Kasharkasha,  the  king  of  Tytmyran, 
who  succeeded  the  Jalyak,  and  having  wantonly 
attacked  our  sovereign  was  put  to  flight.  The  king 
has  sent  a  thousand  men  in  pursuit  of  him,  and  has 
promised  to  confer  dignity  and  wealth  on  his  captor. 
We  have  searched  for  him  without  resting  for  more 
than  three  days,  and  it  is  not  likely  that  we  shall 
now  let  him  go  free.  All  his  speeches  come  from 
a  disordered  mind."  Hearing  this  the  villagers  were 
astonished  and  silenced. 

The  messengers  of  Futtal  Shah  proceeded  to  the 
city,  and  on  their  arrival  the  rumour  soon  spread  that 
they  had  taken  Kasharkasha.  The  shepherd  was 
brought  into  the  presence  of  the  king,  and  the 
splendour  of  the  court  so  dazzled  him  that  he  lost 
his  speech,  and  the  king  thus  addressed  him  :  "  You 
fool,  do  sovereigns  and  high  personages  indite  such 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


letters?  Now  shall  I  ignominiously  kill  you,  as  a 
warning  to  all  presumptuous  and  foolish  persons." 
When  the  shepherd  heard  this  sentence  he  was 
roused,  and  exclaimed :  "  O  king,  I  swear,  by  the 
soul  of  Baba  Nasym  Sermest,  that  I  made  that  very 
day  a  vow  of  repentance  to  go  on  pilgrimage  to  the 
tomb  of  Baba  Jany  and  never  again  to  commit  such 
an  act.  Indeed  the  clothes  are  present  and  at  hand. 
I  possess  several  ewes  big  with  young  which  I  shall 
give  you  if  you  set  me  free.  I  have  the  sheep  of 
one  hundred  men  under  my  charge,  and  were  any 
accident  to  befal  them  all  my  friends  and  relatives 
would  be  unable  to  make  compensation  on  my 
account,"  and  he  wept  bitterly.  Futtal  Shah  asked 
in  astonishment :  "  How  does  this  reply  agree  with 
our  question  ?"  Upon  this  all  the  assembly  smiled, 
and  a  merchant  present,  who  had  been  at  Tytmyran 
and  knew  the  person  of  Kasharkasha,  kissed  the  floor 
of  civility,  and  said:  "O  king,  this  is  not  Kashar- 
kasha. He  is  a  man  of  handsome  appearance  and 
fair  speech;  this  is  an  ignorant  boor."  Hereupon 
the  king  first  questioned  the  shepherd  closely  and 
then  his  captors,  who  stated  their  case,  after  which 
he  declared  :  "  Both  parties  are  right ;  Kasharkasha 
was  at  the  spring  and  has  purposely  misled  you. 
At  present  there  is  no  use  of  making  further  efforts, 
because  he  has  gained  time  to  go  wherever  he 
pleased."  Then  he  gave  the  shepherd  five  thousand 
dirhams  and  dismissed  him. 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  KASHARKASHA.  89 

Soon  after  Kasharkasha  had  concealed  himself  in 
the  mountain  cave  he  was  driven  out  of  it  by  hunger, 
and  descending  into  the  plain  wandered  from  town 
to  town,  scratching  the  wound  of  the  loss  of  his 
kingdom  and  of  the  treasure  of  prosperity  with  the 
nails  of  regret  and  sorrow,  and  keeping  it  fresh  with 
the  salt  of  repentance,  until  he  arrived  in  Turkey. 
There  it  occurred  to  him  one  day  that  his  father  had 
told  him,  in  case  his  good  fortune  should  desert  him, 
to  visit  the  merchant  Khoja  Sadullah,  who  would 
aid  him.  So  he  proceeded  to  Baghdad  and  found 
the  house  of  the  merchant,  who  was  a  very  kind- 
hearted  man,  and  happened  at  the  time  to  be  going 
on  a  visit  to  the  Khalif,  with  whom  he  stood  in  high 
favour.  On  seeing  Kasharkasha  he  concluded  from 
his  mean  attire  that  he  was  a  mendicant  and  ordered 
one  of  his  attendants  to  give  him  alms,  on  receiving 
which  the  prince  burst  into  tears.  When  Khoja 
Sadullah  asked  him  why  he  wept,  he  produced  his 
father's  signet,  which  when  the  Khoja  examined, 
"  This  ring,"  said  he,  "  belongs  to  King  Faridun  of 
Fars.  I  gave  it  to  him  ;  but  how  came  it  into  your 
possession  ?"  Kasharkasha  replied  :  "  He  is  my 
father.  The  desire  to  travel  has  separated  me  from 
him,  and  the  instability  of  fortune  has  reduced  me 
to  this  pitiable  state."  Khoja  Sadullah  warmly  em- 
braced and  welcomed  him,  saying  :  "  Forget  all  your 
troubles  and  be  comforted  ;  because  you  will  again 
become  lucky,  and   this  unpropitious  condition  will 


90  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

depart  from  the  horoscope  of  your  felicity.  All  men 
are  subject  to  reverses  of  fortune,  but  the  end  is 
frequently  very  happy.  My  life  and  property  are  at 
your  service."  Then  he  sent  the  prince  to  the  bath, 
provided  him  with  a  costly  wardrobe,  assigned  to  him 
a  number  of  apartments  fit  for  a  royal  personage,  and 
appointed  fifty  slaves  to  wait  on  him,  all  of  whom  he 
ordered  to  obey  and  try  to  please  him.  Thus  Fortune 
again  smiled  on  Kasharkasha  and  he  spent  his  days 
in  comfort  and  felicity. 

One  day  he  was  walking  on  the  roof  of  the  house 
and  chanced  to  look  into  the  haram  of  the  Khoja, 
having  mistaken  it  for  that  of  another  dwelling.  The 
wife  of  the  Khoja  was  in  the  open  court-yard  when 
his  eye  alighted  on  the  countenance  of  that  heart- 
ravishing  beauty,  which  so  captivated  him  that  his 
person  became  more  attenuated  every  day.  He  kept 
the  matter  to  himself,  but  one  of  his  attendants  re- 
ported it  to  the  Khoja,  who  seemed  to  pay  no 
attention,  but  nevertheless  went  to  his  wife  and  said 
to  her :  "  Darling  of  my  soul,  I  have  a  request  to 
make  to  you,  but  on  condition  that  you  swear  to 
comply  with  it."  The  lady  took  the  required  oath, 
and  the  Khoja  continued :  "I  divorce  you."  She 
asked:  "Of  what  fault  has  the  bud  sprouted  in  the 
rose-grove  of  my  imagination  ?  And  what  crime 
have  I  committed  to  deserve  your  abhorrence  and 
to  be  separated  from  you?"  Quoth  the  Khoja: 
"God  forbid  that   I   should  have  experienced   from 


STORY  OF  PRINCE   KASHARKASHA.  91 

you  anything  save  kindness  and  love ;    but   I   have 
been  compelled  to  part  with  you." 

The  Khoja,  having  thus  divorced  his  wife,  went  to 
Kasharkasha  and  spoke  to  him  as  follows  :  "I  have 
been  made  aware  of  your  condition,  and  your  wish 
shall  be  gratified  in  a  few  days.  The  woman  whom 
you  have  seen  is  the  foster-sister  of  Farrukhzad  the 
merchant.  Her  husband  died  a  few  days  ago,  and 
her  time  of  mourning  is  not  yet  over.  Her  brother, 
my  most  intimate  friend,  is  in  Basra,  and  I  have  sent 
a  man  to  him  to  sue  for  her  hand  in  your  behalf — be 
of  good  cheer."  Kasharkasha  was  highly  pleased,  and 
the  Khoja  amused  him  until  the  time  required  by  the 
law  was  expired.  Then  he  sent  for  the  Kazi,  and 
Kasharkasha  was  married  to  the  lady  in  due  form. 
In  the  evening  the  Khoja  led  his  former  wife  to  the 
apartments  of  the  prince  ;  and,  when  she  beheld  the 
unparalleled  beauty  and  comeliness  of  her  new  hus- 
band, she  whispered  to  the  Khoja :  "Although  you 
have  divorced  me,  I  thank  God  that  I  am  to  be  the 
spouse  of  this  youth."  When  the  Khoja  had  taken 
his  leave,  the  prince  asked  the  lady :  "  What  did 
you  just  now  whisper  to  the  Khoja?"  She  replied: 
"Young  man,  I  was  the  wife  of  the  Khoja  and  we 
lived  together  very  happily,  but  he  has  without  any 
cause  divorced  me  and  married  me  to  you ;  so  I  said 
to  him,  when  I  beheld  you,  and  he  had  no  longer 
any  power  over  me :  'Although  you  have  divorced 
me  without  cause,  I  am  delighted  to  be  the  wife  of 


92  HISTORY  OF  NASSAU. 

this  young  man,  who  seems  to  be  a  great  deal  better 
than  yourself.'"  As  soon  as  Kasharkasha  learned 
that  she  had  been  the  wife  of  the  Khoja  he  drew 
the  hand  of  refusal  over  the  breast  of  his  desires 
and  said  : 

"  To  overcome  one's  own  lust  is  victory  ; 
To  master  one's  own  passion  is  bravery  indeed. 

God  forbid  that  I  should  touch  this  woman,  for  I 
consider  her  unlawful  to  me."  So  he  slept  that  night 
alone,  and  in  the  morning  apologised  to  her,  saying : 
"  I  was  somewhat  indisposed  and  unable  to  keep 
your  company.  Pray  have  patience  for  a  few  days 
till  I  recover  fully." 

In  this  manner  some  days  passed,  when  the  prince, 
conversing  with  the  Khoja  about  his  own  country, 
said  to  him  :  "  It  is  now  a  long  time  since  I  left  my 
dear  father,  and  though  I  have  in  your  company  and 
by  your  kind  services  forgotten  all  my  misfortunes,  I 
nevertheless  feel  a  very  great  desire  to  rejoin  him." 
Therefore  the  Khoja  loaded  twenty  strings  of  camels 
with  costly  goods  and  sent  them  under  the  care  of 
fifty  trustw^orthy  slaves  with  Kasharkasha.  Taking 
affectionate  leave  of  his  benefactor  and  promising 
always  most  gratefully  to  remember  his  great  kindness, 
the  prince  departed  on  the  road  to  Fars.  When  he 
arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  capital  he  sent  the  glad 
tidings  to  his  father,  who  hastened  to  meet  him. 
They  entered  the  city  together,  and  King  Faridiin 
was  so  rejoiced  at  the  happy  event  that  he  opened 


STORY  OF  PRINCE   K'ASHARKASHA.  93 

his  treasury  and  distributed  much  money  among  the 
people.  After  some  time  he  abdicated  the  government 
in  favour  of  his  beloved  son,  and  died,  leaving  him 
his  sole  heir  and  successor. 

In  the  meantime  Kasharkasha's  kind-hearted  bene- 
factor suffered  a  reverse  of  fortune.  One  day  Sadullah 
was  informed  that  an  agent  whom  he  had  despatched 
to  Hindustan  w^as  returned,  but  had  been  shipwrecked 
and  lost  everything.  The  Khoja  piously  observed : 
"He  from  whose  favour  all  that  is  in  this  world 
depends  is  able  to  make  good  this  loss."  But  a  week 
later  news  reached  him  that  another  of  his  agents  had 
been  plundered  by  robbers.  Soon  after  this  second 
calamity  the  Khalif  of  Baghdad  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Mutassim,^  who  had  long  nourished 
ill-will  against  the  Khoja,  therefore  he  confiscated 
all  the  merchant's  property.  Khoja  Sadullah,  now 
reduced   to   absolute"  poverty,   determined   to   go   to 

1  Al-Mu'tasim  Billah,  was  the  fourth  son  of  the  Khalif  Harun 
er-Rashid,  and  succeeded  his  second  brother,  Al-Mamun,  A.n. 
833.  He  was  the  first  of  the  Khalifs  who  added  to  his  name  the 
title  of  Billah,  which  is  equivalent  to  the  Dei  Gracia  of  Christian 
sovereigns.  Al-Mu'tasim  was  the  8th  Khalif  of  the  house  of 
Abbas ;  was  born  on  the  8th  month  (Shaban)  of  the  year ; 
ascended  the  throne  in  the  218th  year  of  the  Hijra  ;  lived  48 
years ;  and  died  on  the  i8th  of  the  month  Rabi  I  :  he  fought  8 
battles  ;  built  8  palaces ;  begat  8  sons  and  8  daughters ;  had 
8,000  slaves ;  and  had  8,000,000  dinars  and  80,000  dirhams 
[a  dirham  is  a  silver  coin  of  the  value  of  sixpence]  in  his  treasury 
at  his  death  ; — whence  Oriental  historians  gave  him  the  name  of 
Al-Musamman,  or  the  Octonar}-. 


94  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

Fars  and  take  refuge  with  Kasharkasha.  He  con- 
trived to  collect  a  sum  of  money  among  the  merchants 
for  the  expenses  of  his  journey,  and  quitting  Baghdad 
proceeded  as  far  as  Tabriz,  where  he  fell  sick  and 
spent  all  his  little  store  of  money.  At  last  he  recovered 
his  health,  but  being  unable  to  proceed  on  his  journey 
he  resolved  to  apply  to  the  Amir  for  some  assistance. 
During  the  preceding  night  a  robbery  had  been 
committed  in  the  Amir's  treasury,  and  a  number  of 
suspected  persons  were  brought  to  the  palace,  among 
whom  Sadullah  unwittingly  took  his  place,  and  was 
along  with  them  committed  to  prison  to  await  the 
trial.  They  were  all  kept  in  confinement  for  several 
months,  and  tortured  daily  to  draw  from  them 
acknowledgment  of  their  guilt,  until  at  length  the 
real  thieves  were  discovered  in  another  quarter  and 
the  suspected  persons  were  all  discharged. 

With  a  broken  heart  Sadullah  resumed  his  journey 
to  Fars,  and  chanced  to  arrive  at  the  royal  palace  at 
the  time  when  Kasharkasha  was  holding  a  levee  and 
receiving  petitions  from  his  subjects.  He  entered  the 
hall  of  audience  and  made  his  obeisance,  but,  as 
Kasharkasha  did  not  recognise  him  in  his  wretched 
plight,  Sadullah's  salutation  was  not  returned.  After 
trying  in  vain  to  attract  the  notice  of  the  king, 
Sadullah  stepped  a  little  apart  from  the  crowd  and 
thus  addressed  Kasharkasha :  "  O  King,  why  does 
your  highness  disdain  to  look  at  me?  I  am  Khoja 
Sadullah,  the  merchant,  of  Baghdad,  who  was  always 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  A'ASHARKASHA.  95 

devoted  to  your  family.  But  now  fortune  has  turned 
its  face  from  me,  and  I  am  come  to  seek  refuge  at 
your  court."  The  king  turned  to  one  of  the  atten- 
dants and  said  :  "  Give  one  hundred  of  the  govern- 
ment sheep  in  charge  of  this  man,  and  give  him  also 
two  loaves  every  day."  Then  he  said  to  Sadullah  : 
"  My  good  friend,  we  have  appointed  you  to  be  one 
of  our  shepherds ;  take  good  care  of  your  flock." 
Khoja  Sadullah  thought  this  proceeding  very  strange, 
and  said  to  himself:  "What  meanness  is  this  on  the 
part  of  the  king,  to  appoint  me  to  be  a  shepherd  ! 
However,  though  I  have  occupied  a  high  station, 
I  must  obey  and  perform  the  duties  of  a  shepherd 
till  something  better  turns  up."  So  he  took  a  staff, 
a  sling,  a  bag,  and  a  dog,  and  went  every  day  with 
the  other  shepherds  to  pasture  his  flock,  and  soon 
learned  the  business.  But  an  epidemic  broke  out 
which  carried  off  daily  several  of  his  sheep  until 
every  one  had  perished.  Then  thought  Sadullah : 
"  Since  my  entire  flock  has  died,  it  seems  that  I 
am  not  even  fit  to  be  a  shepherd."  One  day  the 
king  observed  the  Khoja  approaching  with  a  great 
load  on  his  back,  and  asked  him :  "  How  are  the 
sheep?"  Quoth  Sadullah:  "May  the  flock  of  the 
king's  health  and  comfort  be  always  on  the  increase 
and  remain  unscathed  by  the  touch  of  the  wolf  of 
misfortune,  and  abide  under  the  protection  of  the 
Shepherd  of  divine  favour  !  Thanks  to  my  unlucky 
destiny,  an  epidemic  has  carried  off  all  the  sheep,  and 


96  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

I  have  brought  their  brands."  The  king  smiled  and 
said :  "  Give  him  another  hundred  sheep."  These, 
however,  also  died,  and  likewise  a  third  hundred, 
so  that  the  Khoja  was  ashamed  to  show  his  face. 
But  the  fourth  flock  entrusted  to  him  became  more 
plump  every  day ;  no  evil  befell  them  ;  all  the  ewes 
threw  twin  lambs ;  and  when  the  king  next  called 
for  the  Khoja  he  made  his  appearance  with  a  number 
of  sprightly  and  nimble  lambs,  and  a  quantity  of 
butter,  cheese,  and  milk.  The  king  said  to  him : 
"O  Khoja,  what  do  you  now  think  of  your  sheep?" 
He  answered  :  "  May  the  game  of  prosperity  and  the 
fawn  of  life  remain  within  the  grasp  of  the  brave  lion 
of  the  king's  happiness,  as  long  as  the  flock  of  stars 
browse  in  the  meadow  of  the  sky,  and  as  long  as  the 
sun  continues  to  travel  in  the  firmament !  Thanks 
be  to  the  Most  High,  by  the  blessing  of  the  king's 
good  fortune,  the  contrary  wind  of  my  ill-luck  has 
become  appeased,  the  lamp  of  success  has  been 
kindled,  the  sheep  of  the  king  are  all  safe  and  sound, 
and  my  disgrace  is  wiped  off."  At  these  words  the 
king  rose  from  his  place,  fell  on  the  Khoja's  neck, 
and  exclaimed :  "  Dear  friend,  your  fate  had  taken 
such  a  mischievous  turn  that  had  I  entrusted  you 
with  my  kingdom  you  would  have  lost  it,  and  it  was 
prudent  to  wait  till  your  luck  changed.  It  was 
against  my  will  that  I  kept  you  in  so  mean  an  occu- 
pation until  that  calamity  withdrew  its  foot  from  the 
circle    of  your   destiny.     But    now   the   obscurity  of 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  KASHARKASHA.  97 

misfortune  has  disappeared  and  the  hght  of  prosperity 
illumines  the  speculum  of  your  hopes.  Do  whatever 
you  please ;  you  are  welcome  to  govern  my  kingdom." 
So  saying,  he  seated  the  Khoja  on  the  throne  of  inti- 
macy, overwhelmed  him  every  moment  with  renewed 
kindness,  and  said  to  him  :  "  I  have  a  foster-sister 
seated  within  the  curtains  of  innocence  and  modesty  3 
if  you  marry  her  you  will  oblige  me  greatly."  The 
Khoja  consented,  and  was  for  the  second  time 
espoused  to  his  own  wife.  When  night  set  in  the 
lady  was  brought  to  the  Khoja,  who  recognised  her 
with  no  little  astonishment,  exclaiming :  "  My  love, 
I  meet  you  again!"  Said  the  lady:  "Khoja,  the 
prince  learnt  the  first  night  the  true  circumstances 
and  has  never  touched  me,  or  even  seen  my  face  till 
the  moment  when  he  surrendered  me  back  to  you." 
Kasharkasha  made  the  Khoja  his  vazir,  and  they  all 
lived  happily  together  for  many  years  until  they  at 
last  quaffed  the  beverage  of  death,  left  this  rewardless 
abode,  and  departed  to  the  mansions  of  eternal  joy. 

When  Khayrandish  had  concluded  this  story  he 
said :  "  Nassar,  I  have  related  this  narrative  to 
impress  on  your  mind  that  self-conceit  and  pre- 
sumptuousness  are  very  great  obstacles  to  happiness. 
Had  Prince  Kasharkasha  followed  the  advice  of  his 
minister  Bihriiz  when  he  succeeded  to  the  kingdom 
of  Tytmyran,  and  not  attacked  Futtal  Shah,  his 
dominion    would    have    been    permanent,    and    the 

H 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


autumnal   blasts  of  misfortune  would    not   have    in- 
jured the  rose-garden  of  his  comfort  and  happiness  : 

You  will  be  happy  in  both  worlds, 
If  you  moderate  your  desires." 

Continuation  of  the  History  of  Nassar. 

After  the  usual  three  days  of  hospitality  had  passed 
and  Khayrandish  had  imparted  his  counsels  to  Nassar, 
he  brought  forth  the  deposit  entrusted  to  him  by 
Nassar's  father,  and  handing  it  to  him,  said  :  "  Almost 
twenty  years  have  elapsed  since  your  father  gave  this 
casket  into  my  charge,  but  I  know  not  what  it  con- 
tains ;  if  you  have  no  objection  we  will  see  what  is  in 
it."  Nassar  at  once  opened  the  packet  and  took  out  a 
mirror  cut  out  of  a  piece  of  emerald  and  surrounded 
with  a  number  of  other  precious  stones.  In  the 
centre  of  the  mirror  was  a  peacock  whose  eyes  were 
constantly  moving  and  whose  feathers  changed  their 
colours  every  moment ;  and  the  workmanship  was  so 
exquisite  and  delicate  that  Khayrandish  and  Nassar 
were  perfectly  amazed,  while  the  former  exclaimed : 
"  My  dear  friend,  no  sovereign  has  ever  possessed  so 
admirable  an  object,  and  it  is  probable  that  you  will 
not  be  able  to  sell  it  to  a  private  individual  except 
at  a  price  far  below  its  real  value.  Therefore  you 
should  present  it  to  some  mighty  king,  and  it  may 
thus  become  to  you  the  cause  of  great  prosperity. 
Show  it  to  no  one  during  your  journey,  lest  it  should 
excite  the  cupidity  of  some  person." 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR.  99 

Nassar  most  willingly  promised  to  follow  his  friend's 
advice,  and  received  from  him  a  ring  with  the  injunc- 
tion that  should  any  calamity  befall  him  he  must  go  to 
Aleppo  and  show  it  to  a  pious  recluse  called  Abd 
Jurjas,  who  would  do  his  utmost  to  help  him.  After 
taking  leave  of  Khayrandish  he  departed  in  the  com- 
pany of  some  men  who  were  travelling  to  Egypt,  where 
they  all  arrived  in  safety.  Nassar  happened  to  meet 
the  king  of  that  country,  who  was  on  a  hunting  excur- 
sion with  a  very  numerous  retinue.  He  saluted  the 
monarch  very  humbly  and  presented  to  him  the  mirror 
as  a  gift,  which  the  king  accepted,  and  on  his  return 
to  the  capital  invested  Nassar  with  a  robe  of  honour^ 
in  full  court,  and  also  took  into  his  hand  the  mirror, 
the  workmanship  of  which  he  greatly  admired,  as  did 
also  his  courtiers.  Then  the  king  said  to  Nassar : 
"  You  appear  to  be  well  educated.  Pray,  what  is 
your  greatest  accomplishment  ?"  He  replied  :  "  Your 
majesty's  humble  servant  is  skilled  in  several  arts,  but 
especially  in  archery."  After  this  the  king  gave  him 
in  charge  of  one  of  his  officials,  who  took  him  to  his 
house  and  showed  him  much  attention. 

During  the  night  the  official  felt  very  unwell,  and 
there  being  no  servant  at  hand,  he  went  to  a  cupboard 
and  taking  out  an  apple  began  to  peel  it ;  and  while 
thus  engaged  some  plaster  fell  down  from  the  ceiling, 

1  When  a  Persian  monarch  desires  to  show  his  special  regard 
for  any  great  man  who  has  come  to  his  court,  he  presents  him 
with  a  khiVat,  or  robe  of  honour,  which  is  often  very  valuable. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 


which  caused  him  to  run  out  of  the  room  in  great 
fear,  and  stumbhng  in  the  dark  he  fell  on  the  knife 
which  he  still  held  in  his  hand,  and  received  from 
it  a  wound  in  consequence  of  which  he  expired  on 
the  spot.  When  this  accident  became  known,  the 
eunuchs,  the  servants,  and  the  inmates  of  the  haram 
were  so  confused  that  they  accused  each  other  of 
having  murdered  their  master,  and  at  last  they  came 
to  blows,  and  several  of  them  were  wounded  and 
killed.  In  the  morning  the  unfortunate  occurrence 
was  reported  to  the  king,  who  was  much  grieved  at 
the  loss  of  a  most  faithful  minister,  and  appointed  his 
son  to  succeed  him  in  the  service. 

Some  time  afterwards  Nassar  ventured  to  make  his 
appearance  at  court,  and  was  respectfully  standing  in 
the  line  of  persons  near  the  throne,  when  the  monarch 
observed  him  and  exclaimed  :  "  Young  man,  we  have 
heard  of  your  archery  but  have  never  seen  it.  Now 
we  wish  to  have  a  proof  of  it."  Nassar  desired  that 
a  ring  should  be  tied  to  a  hair  and  suspended  at  a 
distance  of  seventy  paces.  Then  he  shot  an  arrow 
through  the  ring  without  moving  it,  and  repeated 
the  feat  thirty-nine  times  more.^     The  king  and  his 

1  Compared  with  this  what  was  the  archery  feat  of  Locksley 
[alias  Robin  Hood),  as  described  in  Ivanlioe  ?  It  seems  to  have 
l)een  a  common  practice  in  Persia  to  suspend  a  finger-ring  as 
the  mark  and  prize  in  an  archery  competition.  A  story  is  told 
of  a  Shah  who,  while  on  a  pleasure  excursion  to  Massala  Shiraz, 
appointed  an  archery  contest  for  the  amusement  of  himself  and 
his  courtiers.     He  caused  a  gold  ring,  set  with  a  vaUiable  gem, 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


courtiers  were  astonished  at  his  skill,  while  the  spec- 
tators uttered  shouts  of  approbation ;  and  the  king  was 
considering  how  to  reward  him  when  an  explosion 
of  gunpowder  took  place  in  the  manufactory  close  by, 
which  destroyed  the  building  and  killed  more  than 
a  thousand  persons ;  but  Xassar  escaped  unhurt. 
This  catastrophe  so  occupied  the  mind  of  the  king 
that  he  rose  up  in  a  melancholy  mood,  forgot  Nassar, 
and  retired  to  his  private  apartments. 

to  be  fixed  on  the  dome  of  'Asad,  and  it  was  announced  that 
whosoever  should  send  an  arrow  through  the  ring  should  obtain 
it  as  the  reward  of  his  skill.  The  four  hundred  skilled  archers 
forming  the  royal  body-guard  each  shot  at  the  ring  without 
success.  It  happened  that  a  boy  on  a  neighbouring  house-top 
was  at  the  same  time  diverting  himself  w'ith  a  little  bow,  when 
one  of  his  arrows,  shot  at  random,  went  through  the  ring.  The 
boy,  having  thus  obtained  the  prize,  immediately  burned  his 
bow,  shrewdly  obser\'ing  that  he  had  done  so  in  order  that  the 
reputation  of  this  his  first  feat  should  never  be  impaired.  (Sa'di's 
Gulistdn,  or  Rose-Garden,  ch.  iii).  The  famous  Persian  poet 
and  robber-chief  Kurroglu  had  a  band  of  777  men  under  his 
command,  and  Demurchy-oglii  [i.e.  the  son  of  the  blacksmith) 
offered  himself  for  a  vacancy.  Kurroglu,  in  order  to  test  the 
nerve  of  the  candidate,  bade  him  sit  down  ;  then  taking  an 
apple  from  his  pocket  and  a  ring  from  his  finger,  he  stuck  the 
ring  in  the  apple,  and  ordered  one  of  his  men  to  remove  the  cap 
from  the  head  of  the  new  comer.  Having  placed  the  apple  on 
the  young  man's  head,  Kurroglu  rode  to  one  side  and  bent  his 
bow  and  continued  to  pass  one  arrow  after  another  through  the 
ring.  Out  of  sixty  arrows  that  were  shot  not  one  went  astray. 
(Chodzko's  Popular  Poetry  of  Persia,  pp.  88,  89).  Here  we  have 
the  feat  of  Wilham  Tell — with  a  difference. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


In  course  of  time  the  king  resumed  his  customary 
duties  and  amusements,  and  it  happened  one  day 
while  engaged  in  the  chase  that  an  eagle  flew  near 
him,  when  he  called  out :  "Is  there  any  one  who 
can  strike  that  eagle  while  he  is  flying?"  Nassar 
immediately  responded  to  the  call,  and  the  eagle 
fell  to  the  ground  pierced  through  by  his  arrow. 
The  king  wished  to  reward  him  on  the  spot,  but 
the  arrow,  after  passing  through  the  eagle's  body, 
having  struck  the  eye  of  the  king's  horse  it  became 
restive,  began  to  gallop,  and  a  helter-skelter  race 
followed,  but  the  horse  could  not  be  stopped,  until, 
one  of  its  legs  going  into  a  hole  in  the  ground,  it 
threw  its  rider,  and  dragged  him  hanging  by  one  foot 
in  the  stirrup,  into  a  very  rapid  stream.  When  the 
attendants  beheld  their  sovereign  in  such  great  peril 
they  hastened  to  save  him,  which  they  did,  but 
not  before  he  had  swallowed  a  great  quantity  of 
water,  was  wounded,  and  more  dead  than  alive,  and 
about  five  hundred  men  had  been  drowned.  One 
of  the  king's  servants  said  to  Nassar:  "Your  archery 
is  very  unlucky,  since  for  every  arrovv'  that  you  shoot 
hundreds  of  men  lose  their  lives."  The  king  was 
taken  in  a  litter  to  the  palace,  and  only  recovered 
his  health  after  forty  days'  medical  treatment. 

When  the  bodies  of  the  king's  followers  were  taken 
out  of  the  water  the  other  attendants  pierced  the 
heart  of  Nassar  with  the  shafts  of  irony  and  disappro- 
bation, and  he  concluded  that,  as  he  had  been  so 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR.  103 

many  times  thwarted  in  his  purpose  of  deserving  the 
favour  of  the  king,  it  would  be  advisable  for  him  to 
quit  the  scene  of  his  exploits  lest  his  life  should  be 
endangered.  He  was  yet  undecided  where  to  go 
when  he  perceived  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river 
a  village,  which  he  resolved  to  visit.  The  current 
was  very  rapid,  but  he  entered  the  water  saying  to 
himself:  "Let  happen  what  will,  my  cup  of  bitterness 
is  already  brimful."  As  he  was  crossing,  the  water 
became  so  deep  that  his  horse  began  to  swim,  and 
the  violence  of  the  flood  soon  swept  Nassar  from  its 
back.  He  was  a  good  swimmer,  but  his  arms  and 
accoutrements  were  heavy,  so  that  he  was  obliged  to 
throw  away  everything,  and  landed  on  the  other  side 
in  a  state  of  nudity.  He  waited  for  the  evening,  being 
ashamed  thus  to  enter  the  village,  and  when  it  was 
dark  he  roamed  about  the  streets  until  he  found  a 
mosque,  in  a  corner  of  which  he  concealed  himself, 
naked,  starving,  and  tired  as  he  was.  It  happened 
that  a  party  of  thieves  had  plundered  the  house  of  the 
village  headman,  and  about  midnight  brought  their 
booty  into  the  mosque  for  the  purpose  of  dividing  it. 
They  kindled  lights  and  made  some  noise,  and  Nassar, 
awaking  from  sleep  and  dazzled  by  the  lights,  fancied 
it  was  morning  and  that  the  people  had  come  to 
prayer.  As  he  had  a  good  voice,  he  said  to  himself: 
"Great  blessings  and  rewards  are  in  store  for  those 
who  call  the  faithful  to  prayer,  and  if  I  do  so,  possibly 
the  Most  High  may  open  the  portals  of  abundance 


I04  HISTORY  OF  NASSAU. 

to  my  destiny."  And  so  he  ascended  to  the  minaret 
and  pronounced  the  usual  form  of  invocation,  which 
when  the  robbers  heard  they  weened  that  the  morning 
had  already  dawned  while  they  had  been  so  deeply 
absorbed  in  dividing  their  plunder  as  to  forget  the 
lapse  of  time.  Therefore  they  made  haste  to  finish 
the  division,  then  extinguished  the  lights,  and  with 
their  bundles  on  their  backs  were  flymg  from  the 
mosque  when  they  were  met  by  Nassar,  who  stopped 
them  and  said  :  "O  ye  bouquet-binders  in  the  garden 
of  piety  and  devotion,  now  is  the  opportune  time  to 
seek  the  benefits  obtainable  in  the  house  of  God,  and 
this  is  the  place  for  kindling  the  lamp  of  prayer  and 
supplication  !  Whither  are  you  going  ?  Have  you  not 
heard  that  any  person  coming  to  the  mosque  for  the 
performance  of  his  matutinal  duty  must  remain  there 
till  sunrise?"  The  thieves  took  him  for  the  muezzin,^ 
who  wished  to  detain  them  till  he  could  hand  them 
over  to  justice,  and,  one  of  them  having  given  him 
a  box  on  the  ear,  they  all  ran  off  at  the  top  of  their 
speed.  Nassar,  now  certain  that  they  could  not  be  of 
the  pious,  ran  after  the  thieves,  and  being  an  excel- 
lent boxer  and  swordsman,  attacked  them  boldly,  and 
snatching  the  weapon  from   one   of  them   he  struck 

1  The  duty  of  the  muezzin  is  to  chant  the  call  to  prayer  (addn) 
from  the  minaret  of  the  mosque  five  times  every  day.  Blind 
men  are  generally  employed  as  muezzins,  in  order  that  they 
should  not  overlook  the  terraces,  or  flat  roofs,  of  the  houses, 
where  the  inmates  generally  sleep  during  very  hot  weather. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


about  him  to  such  purpose  that  he  killed  one  and 
wounded  several  of  the  others,  upon  which  they 
abandoned  their  plunder  and  fled. 

Nassar  was  at  a  loss  what  to  do  with  the  booty  and 
the  corpse,  fearing  lest  he  should  be  held  responsible 
for  all  that  had  occurred,  and  thus  fall  into  fresh 
danger.  Some  people,  who  lived  near  the  mosque, 
having  been  aroused  from  their  slumbers  by  the 
untimely  call  from  the  minaret,  said  one  to  another : 
"  Surely  that  fellow  has  gone  mad,  since  he  calls  to 
morning  prayer  before  midnight  is  past ;"  and  when 
they  heard  the  noise  of  the  scuffle  they  imagined  that 
some  vagabonds  of  the  village,  whom  Satan  had 
seduced  to  adopt  the  doctrines  of  the  Sufis,  were 
holding  their  nocturnal  assembly  in  the  mosque.^  So 
they  hastened  thither  to  expel  the  intruders  ;  but  when 
they  entered  they  saw  only  Nassar,  who  was  saying  to 
himself:  "  I  wonder  from  what  poor  fellow  the  thieves 
have  stolen  this  property."  When  the  folk  beheld  a 
man  standing  alone  and  muttering  to  himself  they  at 
once  concluded  he  was  a  siifi  in  one  of  his  ecstacies, 
who  had  thus  stripped  himself  naked ;  and  as  they 

1  The  Sufis  are  the  mystics  of  Islam,  and  profess  to  have 
attained,  by  meditation,  so  advanced  a  stage  of  spiritual  per- 
fection as  to  render  the  teachings  of  the  Kuran  and  the  ordinary 
religious  observances  quite  unnecessary  to  them.  They  are 
generally  considered  by  the  "orthodox  "  as  arrant  infidels.  For 
an  interesting  account  of  some  of  their  public  ' '  religious  "  perfor- 
mances, see  the  chapter  on  the  Dancing  Darveshes  in  Lane's 
Modern  Egyptians. 


lo6  HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 

walked  according  to  the  commandments  of  the  Most 
High  and  in  conformity  with  the  holy  law  of  the 
Prophet,  and  hated  all  siifi's,  innovators,  and  enthu- 
siasts, they  burst  into  reproaches  against  them,  crying : 
"  O  ye  transgressors  of  the  divine  commands  and  de- 
stroyers of  the  ordinances  of  the  Refuge  of  Prophecy;^ 
who  degrade  the  house  of  God  to  a  brothel,  by  the 
wiles  of  Satan,  who  has  made  you  his  own,  and  is  your 
guide  in  irreligious  proceedings  !  What  breach  is  this 
that  you  wish  to  make  in  Islam  ? "  Nassar  mistook 
them  for  the  thieves  who  had  come  back  to  recover 
their  plunder  and  wished  to  deceive  him  with  such 
speeches,  so  he  said:  ''You  rogues,  I  shall  not  be 
circumvented  by  your  tricks,"  and  seizing  the  sword 
which  was  still  near  him  he  wounded  one  of  them  and 
put  the  others  to  flight.  Then  he  tied  a  rope  to  the 
neck  of  the  wounded  man  and  said  :  "  Come,  tell  the 
truth.  From  what  house  have  you  stolen  these  goods?" 
But  the  man,  knowing  nothing  of  the  robbers,  believed 
him  to  be  a  siifi  in  a  trance,  speaking  nonsense,  and 
replied :  "  O  you  wretched  vagabond  and  fanatic  and 
transgressor  of  the  divine  commands !  I  know  not  what 
you  say.  Have  I  not  come  hither  from  my  house  on 
account  of  the  tumult  which  you  made  ?  " 

Meanwhile  the  other  villagers  who  had  been  driven 
away  by  Nassar  went  to  the  officials  and  thus  addressed 
them  :  "Is  Islam  no  longer  dominant  in  this  country, 
that  hypocrites  and  infidels  are  allowed  to  enter  the 

1  Muhammed. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR.  107 

mosque  and  desecrate  it  with  their  orgies?  People 
who  hve  near  the  mosque  hear  every  night  the  dia- 
bohcal  revelhngs  of  a  pack  of  vagabonds.  Last  night 
they  again  entered  the  mosque,  and,  contrary  to  law, 
shouted  the  call  to  prayer  in  the  middle  of  the  night. 
They  have  even  sorely  wounded  one  of  the  faithful, 
and  we  do  not  know  what  has  become  of  him."  The 
officials  ordered  a  party  of  constables  to  accompany 
them  and  to  seize  the  law-breakers ;  and  when  they 
entered  the  mosque  they  found  Nassar  still  engaged 
in  examining  his  prisoner,  and  mistaking  them  also  for 
the  thieves  he  wounded  one  of  them  likewise.  "  Siifi," 
they  exclaimed,  "  what  impudence  and  wickedness  is 
this  ?  Do  pious  and  virtuous  men  ever  fight  and  kill 
the  servants  of  God  in  the  mosque  ?  "  Quoth  Nassar  : 
"You  vile  robbers  !  you  cannot  deceive  me.  I  intend 
to  slay  you  all  this  night,  to  deserve  the  reward  of 
God."  When  they  saw  him  speaking  so  boldly,  naked 
as  he  was,  they  said  :  "  Look  at  the  presumption  of 
this  sufi,  to  behave  in  such  a  manner  in  the  mosque  !" 
By  this  time,  the  morning  having  dawned,  numbers  of 
the  people  came  to  prayer,  and  Nassar  fled,  with  the 
sword  in  his  hand,  and  wounded  several  persons  who 
attempted  to  stop  him.  But  he  ran  so  fast  that  no 
one  was  able  to  overtake  him,  and  his  pursuers  then 
returned  to  their  homes.  Soon  afterwards,  however, 
a  company  of  siifis  came  into  the  village  and  were  at 
once  accused  of  having  committed  the  robbery ;  a 
general  tumult  ensued  and  many  men  were  slain  or 


io8  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

wounded.  Ultimately  the  affair  came  before  the  king 
of  Egypt,  who  caused  the  sufi's  to  be  punished  and 
fined,  although  they  were  entirely  innocent  of  the 
■crime  laid  to  their  charge. 

Nassar  now  wandered  from  town  to  town,  pursued 
by  misfortunes.  One  day  the  king  of  Egypt  asked 
his  courtiers  what  had  become  of  him,  but  they  could 
only  reply  that  in  consequence  of  the  various  calami- 
ties that  followed  his  archery  feat  he  had  disappeared. 
His  majesty  observed  that  for  these  accidents  Nassar 
was  in  no  way  accountable,  because  they  had  all 
occurred  by  the  decree  of  Fate,  and  he  despatched 
messengers  in  every  direction  to  search  for  him. 
Nassar  was  at  last  discovered  in  a  village,  in  a  very 
destitute  and  miserable  condition.  He  was  carried  to 
the  capital,  and  before  bringing  him  into  the  king's 
presence  it  was  necessary  to  take  him  to  the  bath,  after 
which  his  majesty  received  him  with  great  kindness 
and  inquired  of  him  :  "Are  you  skilled  in  any  other 
things  besides  archery?"  Nassar  bowed  his  head 
and  replied  :  "I  am  acquainted  with  military  tactics, 
mathematics,  commerce,  mineralogy,  boxing,  fencing, 
and  also  with  cooking."^    Quoth  the  king  :  "All  these 

1  In  primitive  times  even  kings  were  proud  of  their  skill  in  the 
art  of  cookery.  Thus  in  the  charming  story  of  Nala  and  Da- 
mayanti  (an  episode  of  the  great  Hindu  epic,  the  Mahdb/idrata) 
the  good  Raja  is  recognised  by  his  devoted  wife,  who  had  been 
long  separated  from  him,  by  some  meat  of  his  dressing.  And  in 
the  other  grand  Indian  epic,  the  Ramayatia,  the  demi-god  Rama 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAK.  109 


accomplishments  adorn  the  character  of  a  man,  none 
of  them,  however,  can  equal  your  skill  in  archery  ;  but 
when  you  acquired  it  your  destiny  was  unpropitious 
and  the  moon  was  evidently  in  the  mansion  of  the 
Scorpion.-  It  will  therefore  be  proper  for  you  to 
abstain  from  shooting  arrows  and  to  practice  other 
arts  until  the  lucky  hour  comes  when  these  calamities 
have  disappeared  from  your  horoscope.  This  day  I 
wish  to  give  a  banquet,  and  you  must  exhibit  your 
skill  in  boxing;  and  as  you  tell  me  that  you  also 
possess  a  knowledge  of  the  art  of  cooking,  I  give  you 
leave  to  prepare  any  dishes  you  please,  for  it  is  long 
since  I  was  able  to  relish  any  kind  of  food." 

Accordingly  Nassar  made  various  savoury  dishes, 
and  when  he  had  finished  his  work  the  king  com- 
manded him  to  show  his  skill  in  boxing  until  the 
dinner  hour.  Nassar  said  that  he  was  ready  to  box 
and  wrestle  with  two  hundred  men  who  excelled  in 
these  arts,   and  when    they  were  produced   he    very 

is  represented  as  killing  and  cooking  the  dinner  of  his  spouse 
Sita  and  himself : 

Their  thirst  allayed,  the  princes  ply  the  chase, 
And  a  fat  stag  soon  falls  beneath  their  arrows. 
A  fire  they  kindle  next,  and  dress  their  prize  ; 
Then,  offering  to  the  gods  and  manes  made, 
With  Sita  they  the  social  banquet  share. 
And  readers  of  the  Arabian  Nights  will  remember  how  young 
Bedr  ed-Din  Hasan  was  discovered  by  the  delicious  tarts  for  the 
making  of  which  he  had  been  always  famed. 
2  One  of  the  signs  of  the  Zodiac. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


easily  vanquished  them  one  after  another.^  The  king 
gave  orders  that  more  men  should  be  brought,  but 
to  his  astonishment  none  could  be  found  willing  to 
encounter  such  a  formidable  antagonist.  But  recol- 
lecting that  he  possessed  a  Circassian  slave  named 
Fi'riiz  Bakht,  lately  presented  to  him  by  the  Sultan  of 
Turkey,  who  was  skilled  in  wrestling,  he  ordered  him 
to  attack  Nassar.  The  slave  caught  Nassar  about  the 
loins  so  forcibly  that  his  own  hands  bled,  but  he  was 
unable  to  move  him  a  hair's  breadth  from  the  spot 
where  he  stood.  To  be  brief,  they  wrestled  long  and 
skilfully,  the  Circassian  trying  two  hundred  different 
tricks  without  effect.  At  last,  however,  Nassar  turned 
the  game  and  lifted  Firiiz  Bakht  from  the  ground  with 
as  much  ease  as  if  he  were  a  child ;  but  the  slave 
so  firmly  grasped  a  pillar  of  the  shed  in  which  the 
sport  was  taking  place  that  Nassar  could  not  pull  him 
from  it ;  and  making  a  final  effort  he  tugged  so  hard 
that  along  with  Firiiz  Bakht  he  wrenched  the  pillar 
away,  which  killed  the  slave  and  about  twenty  of  the 
spectators  by  a  portion  of  the  roof  falling  down  on 
them   after   its    support    had   been    thus   withdrawn. 

1  Wrestling  has  been  from  the  most  ancient  times  a  favourite 
sport  in  Persia,  as  it  has  also  been  among  the  Japanese.  Due 
allowance  must,  of  course,  be  made  for  the  Oriental  exaggeration 
here  indulged  in,  of  representing  our  hero  as  throwing  two 
hundred  men  in  succession  ; — still,  the  author  is  not  inconsistent, 
for  did  not  he,  single-handed,  lay  about  him  boldly  and  scatter 
the  gang  of  robbers  in  the  mosque  and  prove  more  than  a  match 
for  the  townsfolk  ? 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


The  king,  with  all  his  attendants,  fled  from  the  place 
in  alarm,  and  the  banquet,  which  was  to  be  one  of 
joy,  became  one  of  mourning. 

Although  the  king  was  greatly  affected  by  this  sad 
accident  he  said  to  his  courtiers:  "As  this  event 
only  took  place  by  the  immutable  decree  of  Fate,  I 
can  in  no  way  blame  the  young  stranger;  and  if  I 
lose  my  life  together  with  my  kingdom,  a  thousand 
accidents  such  as  this  will  not  influence  me  against 
him."  The  courtiers  tried  to  comfort  the  king,  but 
as  he  was  very  melancholy  their  efforts  were  fruitless. 
When  the  table -decker  made  his  appearance  and 
announced  that  the  dinner  prepared  by  Nassar  was 
ready  to  be  served  up,  the  king  said  :  "  Though  we 
have  at  present  no  inclination  to  eat  anything,  yet, 
as  the  dinner  is  prepared,  cause  it  to  be  brought  in." 
AVhen,  however,  the  king  had  tasted  some  of  the 
dishes  he  found  them  to  be  more  delicious  than 
aught  he  had  ever  eaten  before ;  and,  thus  seduced, 
he  ate  so  heartily  that  he  became  ill,  and  having  but 
lately  recovered  from  sickness  he  was  unable  to  digest 
the  food,  and  only  recovered  after  a  long  course  of 
medicine. 

But  that  magnanimous  and  kind-hearted  monarch, 
albeit  he  had  never  been  sick  before  he  had  come  in 
contact  with  Nassar,  would  ascribe  neither  his  indis- 
position nor  the  other  calamities  to  that  circumstance, 
but  to  the  decrees  of  Fate,  and  bore  him  no  ill-will. 
He  invested  Nassar  with  a  robe  of  honour,  made  him 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


various  presents,  and  was  about  to  appoint  him  to  a 
high  office,  when  one  of  the  vazirs,  who  had  by  his 
natural  sagacity  guessed  the  king's  purpose,  said  that, 
although  his  majesty  was  of  a  liberal  and  kind  dis- 
position and  Nassar  a  deserving  person,  yet  it  would 
be  inadvisable  to  bestow  on  him  any  great  favours 
at  the  present  time,  because  experience  had  abun- 
dantly shown  that  the  withering  blasts  of  his  unfor- 
tunate destiny  had  not  yet  ceased  to  blow,  and  only 
mischief  would  be  the  result.  Therefore,  he  went 
on  to  say,  it  would  be  better  to  give  him  a  con- 
siderable sum  of  money  and  dismiss  him,  with  the 
injunction  to  remain  in  some  other  place  until  his 
destiny  had  changed  for  the  better,  when  he  might 
return  to  the  service  of  the  king,  whose  favours,  if 
now  bestowed,  would  be  thrown  away.  He  con- 
tinued :  "It  is  also  certain  that  in  the  same  way 
as  all  efforts  to  aid  persons  who  are  predestined  to 
be  unfortunate  are  in  vain,  so  also  the  devotional 
and  religious  wishes  of  silly  though  well-meaning  men 
are  of  little  avail  to  them."  The  king  asked  :  "  How 
is  that?"     Upon  which  the  vazir  related  the 

Story  of  the  Foolish  Hen  nit. 

At  the  time  of  the  rising  of  the  Sun  of  Prophecy,  the 
glance  of  an  angel  of  the  Court  of  Unity  ^  chanced  to 
alight  on  the  hermitage  of  an  ascetic,  whom  he  be- 

1  I  presume  by  the  "  Sun  of  Prophecy  "  is  meant  Muhammed. 
The  "Court  of  Unity"  is  Heaven. 


STORY  OF   THE  FOOLISH  HERMIT.  113 

held  sedulously  engaged  in  all  the  duties  of  religion ; 
and  he  was  so  pleased  that  he  was  curious  to  know 
what  should  be  the  reward  of  all  this  piety.  Then 
the  allocution  reached  him  from  the  Lord  of  Omni- 
science :  "  Angel,  pray  that  this  mystery  be  revealed 
to  thee."  Accordingly  the  angel  made  his  supplica- 
tion and  was  informed  that  the  reward  of  the  ascetic 
should  be  very  inconsiderable  ;  whereat  he  was  so 
astonished  that  he  said  :  "  O  God  !  how  can  this  be 
the  reward  of  a  whole  life  of  piety  ?  I  consider  it  as 
insufficient  for  a  single  day.  What  wisdom  is  con- 
cealed in  this  matter?"  Then  he  heard  this  order: 
"  Visit  him  in  human  form,  and  learn  the  state  of 
the  case."  The  angel  obeyed,  and,  after  being  by  the 
power  of  the  Most  High  transformed  into  a  man, 
he  visited  the  hermit  and  became  so  intimate  with 
him  that  he  lived  for  several  days  in  his  cell,  which 
being  situated  in  a  pleasant  and  fertile  region,  with 
abundance  of  springs  and  flowers,  the  angel  said  one 
day  to  the  hermit:  "x\rise,  let  us  enjoy  a  walk  in 
this  delightful  place."  Accordingly  they  went  out  to- 
gether, and  when  they  entered  a  paradise-like  meadow, 
and  beheld  the  freshness  of  the  parli-coloured  vege- 
tation, they  praised  the  Almighty.  Said  the  angel: 
"  Hermit,  be  grateful  to  God  for  having  adorned 
the  neighbourhood  of  your  cell  like  a  paradise  with 
springs  and  flowers  and  crowned  every  blade  of  grass 
with  the  diadem  of  loveliness  and  fertility."  The 
ascetic  replied :    "  My  dear  brother,   I   always  enjoy 


114  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


the  pleasantness  of  this  locality  because  it  abounds 
in  grass  and  water,  so  that  many  animals  might  be 
fattened  here.  But  I  am  constantly  burning  with 
grief  that  God  has  no  ass  whom  I  might  comfort 
and  feed  in  this  place,  and  might  for  his  sake  acquire 
a  higher  merit  in  the  next  world."  When  the  angel 
was  thus  made  aware  of  the  littleness  of  the  hermit's 
mind,  by  this  silly  wish,  he  left  him,  and  resuming 
his  proper  form  the  divine  allocution  reached  him  : 
"  Have  you  seen  the  intelligence  and  wisdom  of  the 
hermit?"^ 

The  vazir  continued  :  "  A  sovereign  must  also  use 
very  great  care  in  the  choice  of  his  ministers,  other- 
wise he  may  fare  like  the  king  of  Basra,  who  had  a 
very  ambitious  and  wicked  vazir."  Quoth  the  king 
of  Egypt:  "How  was  that?"  and  the  minister  began 
to  relate  the 

Story  of  the  Treacherous  Vazir. 
In  ancient  times  there  was  a  king  of  Basra  who  was 
very  kind-hearted  and  liberal.  He  had  a  good  vazir, 
worthy  of  his  confidence,  who  assiduously  attended 
to  all  his  duties  and  was  very  faithful  ;  but  death 
overtook  him,  and  the  king,  who  was  for  some  time 
undecided  what   to  do,   ultimately  appointed  in  his 

1  This  little  story  is  evidently  intended  as  a  satire  on  ascetics 
whose  notions  of  religious  duties  spring  from  their  own  fooHsh 
minds,  and  who  are  often  held  up  to  ridicule  by  the  most 
eminent  Persian  poets  and  moralists. 


STORY  OF   THE    TREACHEROUS  VAZIR.      115 

place  a  man  of  great  ambition,  who  secretly  enter- 
tained a  design  of  usurping  the  throne ;  and  being 
in  want  of  an  accomplice  he  bribed  a  eunuch  to 
introduce  him  to  one  of  the  ladies  of  the  haram. 
But  when  he  had  become  accustomed  to  the  pleasures 
which  awaited  him  in  the  fond  embraces  of  love,  he 
thought  that  it  would  be  dangerous  to  carry  out  his 
purpose  very  hastily,  so  he  drew  the  lady  into  his 
secret,  and  now  neglected  the  eunuch  who  had 
assisted  him  thus  far  and  who  consequently  made 
a  vow  to  avenge  himself  on  the  ungrateful  vazir. 

One  night  the  king  had  a  very  unpleasant  dream  : 
a  scorpion  crawled  from  his  sleeve  into  his  shoe,  and 
when  he  attempted  to  take  it  out  it  bit  him.  In  the 
morning  the  sultan  related  his  dream  to  some  of  his 
courtiers,  and  as  they  could  offer  no  satisfactory 
explanation  of  it  he  said  :  "  You  are  only  groping 
in  the  dark,  and  we  must  wait  till  a  skilful  interpreter 
can  be  found." 

The  eunuch,  who  had  heard  the  attendants  con- 
versing on  the  subject  and  thought  this  a  favourable 
opportunity  to  revenge  himself  on  the  vazir,  said  that 
he  was  able  to  interpret  the  dream ;  and  on  being 
brought  before  the  king  spake  as  follows :  "  The 
mterpretation  is,  that  one  of  your  majesty's  highest 
officials  has  withdrawn  his  head  from  the  circle  of 
obedience :  by  means  of  a  eunuch  he  has  gained 
admission  into  the  royal  haram,  which  he  visits  every 
night,  and  carries  on  a  love-intrigue  with  one  of  the 


Ii6  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

ladies ;  and  moreover  he  entertains  the  most  wicked 
design,  at  a  fitting  opportunity,  of  depriving  your 
majesty  of  life  (which  God  forbid !)  and  usurping 
the  throne  himself; — and  there  is  a  high  degree  of 
probability  that  the  official  is  no  other  than  the  vazir." 
On  hearing  this  the  king  was  wroth,  but  concealed 
his  feelings,  so  that  he  should  not  compromise  his 
dignity,  and  exclaimed  :  "  Base  wretch  !  there  is 
nothing  to  warrant  such  a  suspicion,  unless,  perhaps, 
some  spite  which  you  harbour  against  the  vazir,  and 
in  consequence  of  which  you  malign  him  ;"  and  he 
ordered  the  eunuch  to  be  instantly  put  to  death. 
But  the  king,  though  inclined  to  give  some  credit  to 
the  eunuch's  story,  could  hardly  believe  that  a  man 
such  as  his  vazir,  whom  he  had  raised  from  a  low 
position  and  made  a  sharer  in  the  government  of 
the  kingdom,  could  be  so  ungrateful  as  to  covet  his 
throne  and  purpose  depriving  him  of  life. 

During  the  past  night  the  vazir  had  as  usual  visited 
his  paramour,  and  they  had  then  agreed  to  murder 
the  king  on  the  following  night,  but  they  wot  not  of 
what  was  in  store  for  them.  The  king,  who  had  been 
rendered  uneasy  by  the  revelation  of  the  eunuch, 
entered  his  private  apartments  in  the  evening,  and 
then  secretly  despatched  a  confidential  servant  to  see 
whether  the  vazir  was  in  his  own  house.  When  the 
messenger  returned  with  the  information  that  the 
vazir  was  not  at  home,  the  king  had  no  longer  any 
doubts,  and  knew  that  if  the  vazir  had  entered  the 


STORY  OF  THE    TREACHEROUS  VAZIR.      117 

haram  he  must  have  done  so  from  the  water-side. 
He  quietly  summoned  all  the  watchmen  and  said  to 
them  :  "  Last  night  I  dreamt  that  thieves  entered  the 
haram,  and  I  am  very  uneasy ;  therefore  I  command 
you  to  kill  any  person  either  entering  or  issuing  from 
it."  After  the  sentries  had  returned  to  their  posts 
the  king  himself  went  into  the  haram,  and,  accom- 
panied by  some  trusty  eunuchs,  rushed  into  the  room 
where  he  supposed  the  vazir  and  the  lady  slept, 
and  there  discovering  another  guilty  couple  he  slew 
them,  and  the  former  escaped.^  While  a  eunuch  ran 
after  the  vazir  and  his  paramour,  the  king  went  out 
to  see  whether  all  the  sentries  were  at  their  posts ; 
and  as  soon  as  they  perceived  him  they  stabbed  him 
to  death,  according  to  his  own  order.  Meanwhile 
the  eunuch  pursued  the  vazir,  who  also  went  out  by 
the  water-side,  was  also  mistaken  in  the  darkness  for 
a  robber,  and  met  the  same  fate  as  his  master.  Then 
the  other  eunuchs  who  were  in  search  of  the  vazir, 
and  were  not  aware  of  the  king's  order,  also  issued  by 
the  same  door  and  were  all  killed  by  the  guards ;  so 
that  in  the  morning  when  the  dead  bodies  were 
counted  they  amounted  to  forty.     On  discovering  the 

1  In  spite  of  the  vigilance  with  which  women  in  the  East  are 
guarded  from  communication  with  lovers,  it  is  said  that  men 
frequently  gain  access  to  harams  disguised  in  female  apparel, 
with  or  without  the  connivance  of  the  "neutral  personages" 
who  are  appointed  to  keep  watch  and  ward  over  the  private 
apartments. 


ii8      .  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

body  of  the  king  the  people  greatly  deplored  the 
misfortune,  and,  considering  that  he  with  all  his  atten- 
dants had  been  killed  in  consequence  of  a  conspiracy, 
they  laid  hold  of  the  watchmen  and  put  them  to 
death,  after  which  the  kingdom  fell  into  a  state  of 
anarchy. 

The  vazir  added  that  this  narrative  exemplified  how 
one  individual  may  become  the  cause  of  the  death  of 
many,  and  that  from  the  misfortunes  which  followed 
Nassar's  exploits  it  plainly  appeared  that  he  was  also 
one  of  the  number  of  those  ill-fated  wretches,  and  that 
the  misadventures  of  Shoayb  of  Baghdad  likewise 
supported  his  statement.  Quoth  the  king:  "How  is 
that?"  whereupon  the  vazir  related  the 

Story  of  the   Unlucky  Shoayb. 

In  days  of  yore  there  dwelt  in  the  city  of  Baghdad  a 
rich  man  called  Shoayb,  but  various  calamities  befell 
him  so  that  he  became  extremely  poor  and  quitted 
the  country,  and  his  ill-luck  followed  him  whereso- 
ever he  went,  and  in  spite  of  all  his  diligence  and 
skill  he  was  unable  to  succeed  in  any  affair  which 
he  undertook.  One  day  he  approached  a  river 
and  discovered  three  men  engaged  in  fishing,  and 
as  he  had  never  seen  this  occupation  exercised  he 
looked  on  with  much  interest.  The  three  fishermen, 
seeing  that  he  was  in  a  very  destitute  condition, 
easily  induced  him  to  enter  their  service,  on  condition 


STORY  OF   THE  .UNLUCKY  SHOAYB.         119 

that  they  should  give  him  as  his  wages  one  fish 
for  breakfast  and  another  for  supper.^  After  he 
had  been  a  few  days  thus  employed  the  river  began 
to  decrease  in  volume  and  also  the  fish  in  number, 
so  that  they  caught  only  a  tenth  of  the  quantity 
which  they  used  to  get  formerly.  At  last  they 
could  catch  only  one  fish  in  a  whole  day,  and  were 
reduced  to  such  straits  that  they  resolved  to  go  in 
quest  of  some  other  kind  of  work. 

One  day  the  sultan  happened  to  pass  that  way 
and  perceived  to  his  great  astonishment  that  there 
was  scarcely  any  water  in  the  river.  He  questioned 
the  fishermen,  who  stated  their  case,  when  the  vazir 
of  the  king,  who  was  a  very  intelligent  man,  asked 
them  :  "  Has  any  stranger  come  among  you  during 
these  days  and  been  taken  into  partnership  with 
you?"  They  pointed  to  Shoayb  and  said:  "This 
man  is  a  stranger  among  us."  Then  Shoayb  was 
examined,  and  he  recounted  his  former  wealthy  con- 
dition and  his  present  destitution  in  such  appropriate 
and  eloquent  language  that  the  king  and  his  vazir, 
as  well  as  all  the  attendants,  were  greatly  amazed, 
and  when  he  had  ended  his  narrative  the  vazir 
said :   "  To  stay  any  longer  in  this  place  is  contrary 

1  This  recalls  an  incident  in  the  Muslim  legend  of  King 
Solomon's  temporary  degradation,  in  consequence  of  his  having 
fallen  into  the  heinous  sin  of  idolatry — a  legend  adapted  from 
the  Jewish  traditionists — when  "the  wisest  man  the  world  e'er 
saw"  became  an  outcast  and  a  vagrant,  and  took  service  with 
a  fisherman  ;  his  wages  being  two  fishes  each  day. 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAK. 


to  the  dictates  of  prudence ! "  So  they  all  returned 
to  the  city,  and  on  their  way  the  king  asked  the 
vazir :  "  Why  did  you  make  those  inquiries  and 
then  become  so  disconcerted  by  the  answers  you 
received  that,  by  your  declaration  that  it  would  be 
unsafe  to  stay  any  longer  there,  you  almost  forced 
us  away  from  the  place?"  The  vazir  saluted  the 
king  and  thus  replied :  "  Most  gracious  sovereign, 
when  your  majesty  asked  for  the  cause  of  the  river's 
decrease  I  thought  of  three  causes  :  First,  that  per- 
haps these  fishermen  had  for  several  days  forgotten 
God  and  the  Prophet,  and  that  therefore  such  a 
calamity  had  befallen  them ;  because  it  is  certain 
that  when  men  give  way  to  evil  habits,  the  genii 
and  demons  are  permitted  to  injure  them  and  to 
destroy  their  prospects  even  as  the  withering  blasts 
of  autumn  deprive  the  roses  of  their  freshness  and 
bloom.  Secondly,  that  perchance  these  fishermen 
had  in  some  way  injured  either  your  majesty  or 
the  inhabitants  of  this  district,  for  which  they  were 
thus  punished.  Thirdly,  that  possibly  a  stranger 
had  come  amongst  these  fishermen,  and  that  on 
account  of  the  misfortunes  which  follow  his  heels 
they  as  his  partners  are  compelled  to  participate 
in  them,  and  therefore  I  questioned  that  stranger 
regarding  his  history ;  when  I  discovered  that  he 
had  brought  his  ill-luck  with  him,  in  consequence 
of  which  the  river  itself  has  nearly  dried  up." 
Quoth  the  king :    "  I   have  full    confidence    in   your 


STORY  OF  THE    UNLUCKY  SHOAYB.         121 

intelligence  and  experience,  but  I  put  no  faith  in 
your  theories  of  good  and  ill-luck,  because  both 
are  mere  expressions  and  depend  entirely  upon 
circumstances.  Thus,  for  instance,  if  a  man  be 
intelligent  and  honest,  and  manage  his  affairs 
properly,  he  will  certainly  have  good  luck,  but  a 
careless  fool  must  naturally  meet  with  ill  luck  : 

Every  man  is  master  of  his  own  fortune 

According  to  his  character  and  strength  of  mind  :  1 

1  The  wise  and  witty  author  of  Hudibras  partly  expresses  the 
same  sentiment  in  these  lines  : 

Man  is  supreme  lord  and  master 
Of  his  own  ruin  and  disaster, 
Controls  his  fate,  Init  nothing  less 
In  ordering  his  own  happiness  : 
For  all  his  care  and  providence 
Is  too  feeble  a  defence 
To  render  it  secure  and  certain 
Against  the  injuries  of  fortune  ; 
And  oft,  in  spite  of  all  his  wit, 
Is  lost  with  one  unlucky  hit, 
And  ruined  with  a  circumstance 
And  mere  punctilio  of  a  chance. 

Butler's  Remains. 
But  the  Hindu  sages  give  forth  no  uncertain  sound  on  this 
subject,  as  may  be  seen  from  these  verses,  which  are  cited  in  the 
Hitopadesa,  a  Sanskrit  version  of  the  celebrated  Fables  of  Bidpai : 
"As  from  a  lump  of  clay  a  workman  makes  whatever  he 
pleases,  in  like  manner  a  man  obtains  the  destiny  prepared  by 
himself" 

"  Fortune  waits  upon  that  lion  of  a  man  who  exerts  himself 
Abject  fellows  say:  'It  is  to  be  given  by  destiny.'     Put  forth 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


.One,  as  Lukman,i  wise  and  opportune  ; 

The  other  as  crazy  Majni'm^  you  will  find. 
The  bulbul^  among  roses  dwells, 

The  owl  in  ruins  dark  abides  ; 
But  intellect  every  ascent  tells, 

And  the  fool  his  own  folly  chides." 

The  vazi'r  responded  :  "  What  your  majesty  says  is 
but  the  sequel  of  my  assertion,  because  the  intellectual 
qualities  of  every  individual  depend  upon  his  horoscope 
and  the  propitious  or  unpropitious  positions  of  the 
stars,  and  according  to  these  a  man  is  either  lucky  or 
unlucky.  Moreover,  we  frequently  see  that  intelligent 
and  good  men  do  not  prosper,  while  fools  and  rogues 

manliness  with  all  your  strength.     If  when  effort  has  been  made 
it  succeed  not,  what  blame  is  there  in  such  a  case  ?  " 

1  Muslims  regard  Lukman  as  the  type  of  human  wisdom.  He 
is  said  to  have  been  an  Ethiopian  slave  and  served  in  the  army  of 
the  Hebrew  king  David.  Many  striking  sayings  and  fables  are 
ascribed  to  him,  but  it  is  more  than  doubtful  whether  he  com- 
posed any  apologues. 

2  The  loves  of  Layla  and  Majnun — the  Romeo  and  Juliet  of  the 
East — have  formed  the  theme  of  several  very  beautiful  Persian  and 
Turkish  poems.  Majnun  (which  means  "mad  from  love:"  his 
proper  name  was  Kays)  was  the  son  of  an  Arab  chief  and  deeply 
enamoured  of  a  maiden  of  another  tribe ;  and  on  her  being 
married  to  a  foreign  and  wealthy  suitor  he  became  distraught, 
and  fled  to  the  wilderness.  When  Layla  became  a  widow  and 
met  her  lover  once  more  she  found  him  a  raving  maniac  and  died 
soon  after.     Majnun  expired  on  her  tomb. 

•5  Muslim  poets  are  never  weary  of  harping  on  the  fancied  love 
of  the  nightingale  (bulhitl)  for  the  rose,  to  which  he  is  supposed 
to  pour  out  his  nightly  plaint. 


STORY  OF  THE    UNLUCKY  SHOAYB.         123 

succeed  in  all  their  undertakings." ^  Quoth  the  king  : 
"  This  I  believe,  because  sometimes  an  intelligent  man 
has  not  that  practical  turn  required  in  the  manage- 
ment of  affairs  and  is  thereby  unable  to  overcome 
ditificulties."-  To  this  the  vazir  rejoined:  "What 
argument  can  your  majesty  adduce  in  favour  of  the 
prosperous  condition  of  Hindus,  Jews,  Christians,  and 
infidels,  who  are  more  powerful  than  the  professors 
of  Islam,  most  of  whom  are  in  need  of  the  aid  of 
those  nations  addicted  to  error?"  To  this  question 
the  king  could  give  no  satisfactory  answer,  but  he 
nevertheless  said:  "No  matter  what  arguments  you 
may  bring  forward,  I  shall  not  believe  your  assertion." 
The  conversation  was  still  turning  on  this  subject 
when  they  entered  the  city,  and  the  king  said:  "Let 
this  matter  stand  over  until  I  can  prove  that  I  am 
right;"'  to  which  the  vazir  replied;  "If  your  majesty 
can  prove  the  contrary  of  what  I  have  stated,  I  am 
willing  that  my  blood  be  spilled  and  lapped  by  the 
dogs  in  the  streets." 

Next  morning  the  king  secretly  called  one  of  his 
confidential  servants,  and  handing  him  a  bag  of  gold 

1  "The  philosopher,"  says  a  Persian  poet,  "died  of  grief  and 
distress,  while  the  blockhead  found  a  treasure  in  a  ruin." 

2  It  is  rare  indeed  to  find  in  Eastern  tales  such  sensible 
observations  put  in  the  mouths  of  sultans,  who  are  for  the  most 
part  mere  lay  figures  or  credulous  fools.  Mr.  R.  L.  Stevenson 
has  happily  described  the  monarchs  that  figure  in  the  Arabian 
Nights  as  "wooden  kings."  Here,  however,  we  have  in  this 
sultan  a  really  sagacious  man. 


124  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

said :  "  Go  without  the  knowledge  of  any  one  to  the 
river,  take  the  young  stranger  to  whom  we  spoke 
yesterday  apart,  and  give  him  this  gold.  Bid  him 
leave  the  company  of  the  fishermen,  go  to  the  bath, 
put  on  good  clothes,  and  wait  the  day  after  to-morrow 
on  horseback  in  such  a  place  until  farther  orders." 
The  attendant  set  out  with  the  gold,  and  on  coming 
up  to  the  fishermen  he  was  perplexed,  as  he  could  not 
distinguish  which  of  them  was  the  stranger.  At  last 
he  called  one  of  the  fishermen  aside  and  asked : 
"Which  is  the  young  stranger  with  whom  the  vazir 
conversed  yesterday?"  Quoth  the  man:  "Why  do 
you  want  him?"  "I  have  some  business  with  him," 
answered  the  king's  messenger.  The  fisherman,  who 
was  a  cunning  fellow,  suspected  that  the  vazir  had  sent 
the  stranger  something,  so  he  assumed  a  doleful  aspect 
and  said  in  a  melancholy  voice :  "I  am  that  poor 
stranger,"  on  which  the  servant  took  out  the  gold 
secretly,  and  giving  it  to  the  man,  at  the  same  time 
delivered  the  king's  message ;  and  the  fisherman  did 
not  return  to  his  companions,  but  immediately  ran  to 
the  city,  where  he  purchased  a  fleet  horse  and  fled  in 
the  direction  of  Tabriz. 

On  the  appointed  day  the  king  took  the  vazir 
towards  the  river,  and  looked  in  all  directions  for 
Shoayb,  whom  they  could  not  discover,  until,  reaching 
the  bank,  they  saw  him  with  two  of  the  fishermen. 
The  king  at  once  surmised  that  the  absence  of  the 
third  was  to  be  ascribed  to  the  mistake  of  his  servant ; 


STORY  OF   THE    UNLUCKY  SHOAYB.         125 

accordingly  he  said  nothing  to  his  vazir,  but  when  he 
returned  to  the  palace  he  reprimanded  the  careless 
attendant  and  sent  him  to  prison.  Then  he  took 
another  bag  of  gold  and  delivered  it  to  an  intelligent 
servant  with  the  same  directions  as  before.  He  went 
to  the  river,  and  calling  Shoayb  privately  apart,  asked 
him  :  "  Are  you  the  stranger  among  the  fishermen  ?  " 
But  Shoayb,  suspecting  that  this  man  might  be  the 
precursor  of  a  caravan  of  fresh  misfortunes,  answered  : 
"  I  am  one  of  the  fishermen."  Then  said  the  man  : 
"  Go  and  send  the  young  stranger  to  me."  Shoayb 
went  and  told  one  of  the  fishermen  that  a  servant  of 
the  king  wanted  to  see  him,  and  when  he  came  the 
man  handed  him  the  bag  of  gold,  without  asking  any 
questions,  delivered  the  king's  orders,  and  departed. 
The  fisherman  was  at  first  astonished  at  his  good  luck, 
but  afterwards  said  to  himself:  "Gifts  such  as  this 
are  merely  tokens  of  the  munificence  of  sovereigns. 
Probably  when  the  king  was  here  and  saw  our  distress 
the  Most  High  inspired  him  with  pity  for  us."  So  he 
concealed  the  bag  at  a  distance  from  Shoayb  and  his 
companion ;  but  the  latter,  having  watched  all  his 
movements  and  observed  that  a  servant  of  the  king 
had  given  him  something  which  he  was  now  hiding, 
resolved  to  make  away  with  him  and  possess  the 
treasure.  Accordingly,  having  sent  Shoayb  to  the 
city  on  some  errand,  he  took  the  net  and  said  to  his 
comrade  :  "  Come,  let  us  throw  the  net,  for  I  have 
just  seen  a  very  large  fish."     His  unsuspecting  partner 


126  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

complied,  and  when  he  drew  near,  the  intending 
murderer  pushed  him  into  the  river,  but  his  own  hand 
becoming  entangled  in  the  net  he  also  fell  into  the 
water  and  both  perished. 

It  happened  that  the  fisherman  who  intended  to 
flee  to  Tabriz  was  not  well  acquainted  with  the 
road,  and  after  travelling  all  day  lay  down  to  sleep. 
When  he  awoke  he  found  that  his  horse  had  strayed 
away  and  went  in  pursuit  of  it ;  but  having  proceeded 
some  distance  he  recollected  that  he  had  left  the  bag 
of  gold,  which  was  under  his  head  while  he  slept, 
and  returned  for  it,  but  in  his  haste  he  missed  the 
spot,  not  only  for  an  hour  or  two  but  he  was  utterly 
unable  to  discover  it  after  three  days'  search,  during 
which  period  he  had  nothing  to  eat  or  drink.  He 
found  his  way  back  to  the  capital  in  a  state  of  great 
exhaustion,  and  had  no  alternative  but  to  betake  him- 
self again  to  his  old  business  on  the  river.  When  he 
arrived  there  he  beheld  Shoayb  alone  and  asked  him 
where  his  two  comrades  had  gone.  Shoayb  told  him 
that  they  had  sent  him  four  days  ago  to  the  town  on 
an  errand,  and  when  he  returned  they  were  absent 
and  had  not  yet  made  their  appearance. 

Meanwhile  the  king  again  made  an  excursion  with 
the  vazir,  and  when  they  reached  the  bank  of  the 
river  they  saw  Shoayb  with  another  man.  Therefore 
the  king  concluded  that  the  gold  had  been  again 
received  by  the  wrong  person  and  he  became  very 
angry.      On   his    return    to    the   palace   he    punished 


STORY  OF   THE    UNLUCKY  SHOAYB.         127 

the  servant,  and  said  to  himself :  "  I  am  surely  sin- 
gular among  kings,  not  to  possess  a  man  able  to 
execute  this  business  properly."  Then  he  despatched 
a  third  attendant  to  the  river,  telling  him  that  he 
would  see  there  two  men,  one  of  whom  belonged 
to  the  country,  the  other  was  a  stranger,  and  to  be 
sure  he  brought  the  latter  with  him.  When  the 
servant  came  up  to  the  two  men  he  asked  :  "Which 
of  you  two  is  the  stranger?"  The  fisherman,  having 
obtained  the  second  bag  of  gold  on  pretence  of  being 
the  stranger  and  believing  that  the  king  was  con- 
ferring gifts  on  such  persons  and  that  the  servant  had 
brought  more  money,  replied :  "I  am  the  stranger 
who  has  no  share  in  the  comforts  of  this  world. 
What  do  you  want  with  me?"  Quoth  the  servant: 
"  The  king  wishes  to  see  j'ou."  But  when  the  fisher- 
man heard  the  king  mentioned,  reflecting  that  he 
had  received  the  bag  of  gold  on  the  previous  occa- 
sion without  having  a  right  to  it,  he  began  to  tremble ; 
he  had  no  excuse,  however,  and  followed  the  mes- 
senger. When  he  was  brought  into  the  royal  presence 
the  king  at  once  saw  that  he  was  not  the  man  he  had 
sought  to  benefit  and  resolved  to  punish  him.  "Are 
you,"  demanded  he,  "the  stranger  who  lives  with  the 
fishermen?"  The  man  replied :  "Yes."  Then  quoth 
the  king:  "As  you  are  the  fellow  in  consequence  of 
whose  unpropitious  advent  the  water  of  the  river  has 
become  diminished  and  the  fish  in  it  few  in  number, 
you  are  worthy  of  death."     On  seeing  his  joyous  ex- 


128  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

pectations  come  to  such  an  end  the  fisherman  began 
to  moan  and  said  :  "  May  it  please  your  majesty,  I 
am  not  that  stranger.  But  as  this  world  is  not  our 
permanent  abode,  and  we  are  all  sojourners  in  it,  I 
said  that  I  am  a  stranger."  But  the  king's  wrath 
was  not  appeased  by  the  man's  supplications,  and 
he  was  immediately  made  to  drink  of  the  beverage 
of  death.  Thus  on  account  of  the  misfortunes  of 
Shoayb  all  the  three  fishermen  lost  their  lives. 

Shoayb,  who  had  remained  by  the  river,  now  re- 
flected that,  as  the  king's  messengers  had  several 
times  been  there  and  always  asked  for  the  stranger, 
and  as  his  companions  had  disappeared,  it  would  not 
be  safe  for  him  to  continue  longer  in  that  place, 
especially  as  it  appeared  probable  that  the  king  bore 
enmity  to  strangers ;  and  therefore  he  betook  him- 
self to  the  city,  so  that  when  the  king  again  sent  a 
messenger  he  could  find  no  one,  and  his  majesty 
was  once  more  disappointed  in  his  well-meant  efforts 
to  assist  the  poor  stranger. 

One  night  the  king  was  walking  about  the  city 
in  disguise,^  accompanied  by  some  of  his  courtiers, 
when  he  saw  a  crowd  in  the  bazar  assembled  round 

1  The  renowned  Harun  er-Rashid  was  not  the  only  Oriental 
monarch  fond  of  prowling  through  his  capital  after  nightfall  in 
disguise  :  Indian  kings  of  the  olden  time,  long  before  the  Muham- 
medan  invasion  and  subjugation,  are  said  to  have  made  it  their 
regular  practice.  King  James  the  Fifth  of  Scotland  was  wont  to 
adopt  all  sorts  of  disguises  and  go  about  in  quest  of  amorous 
adventures. 


STORY  OF   THE    UNLUCKY  SHOAYB.         129 

a  man  whose  hands  were  tied,  and  addressing  him 
in  this  strain  :  "  In  consequence  of  the  unpropitious 
sight  of  your  unhallowed  person,  that  misfortune  has 
befallen  Khoja  Naym.  He  was  so  rich  that  every 
morning  and  evening  one  thousand  men  partook  of 
the  banquet  of  his  liberality,  and  by  your  ill  luck  he 
was  overwhelmed  by  such  a  calamity."  When  the 
king  looked  well  at  the  man  he  recognised  Shoayb 
as  the  object  of  the  reproaches  and  vituperation  of 
the  crowd.  So  he  went  aside  and  said  to  his  attend- 
ants :  "  Save  this  man  in  any  way  you  can  from  the 
grasp  of  this  mob ;  for  he  is  the  individual  we  are 
in  search  of."  The  courtiers  mixed  with  the  crowd 
and  asked :  "  Who  is  this  man  ?  And  what  has  he 
done  to  Khoja  Naym  ? "  The  people  answered  : 
"  Yesterday  morning  the  Khoja  was  riding  out  to 
meet  the  caravan  from  Egypt,  with  the  intention  of 
purchasing  some  goods,  and  as  soon  as  his  eye  caught 
sight  of  this  fellow  he  immediately  fell  down  from  his 
horse  and  expired.^  We  have  been  some  time  in 
search  of  him,  and  now  that  we  have  found  him  we 
are  going  to  retaliate  on  him  the  death  of  Khoja 
Naym."  The  royal  attendants  said  :  "  Such  events 
take  place  by  the  decrees  of  Providence.  You  per- 
secute this  guiltless  man  in  vain,  for  according  to 
the  law  no  crime  can  be  brought  home  to  him. 
You  ought  rather  to  give  alms  and  solace  the  poor, 

1  Blighted,  as  they  firmly  believed,  by  the  mere  sight  of  the 
unlucky  man. 

K 


I30  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

to  please  God,  and  for  the  pardon  of  the  Khoja. 
Indeed,  should  any  evil  happen  to  this  man  you 
will  have  to  account  for  it  to  the  king."  But  the 
people  of  Khoja  Naym  would  not  listen  to  reason, 
and  pulled  the  man  on  one  side  while  the  courtiers, 
who  were  not  recognised  in  the  darkness,  pulled 
him  on  the  other  side,  and  the  quarrel  resulted  in 
a  fight,  during  which  several  persons  were  wounded 
and  one  of  the  courtiers  was  killed.  Amidst  the 
confusion,  however,  Shoayb  contrived  to  make  his 
escape. 

When  the  people  of  Khoja  Naym  had  fled  and 
the  crowd  was  dispersed,  the  king  walked  away  with 
his  attendants,  who  carried  the  body  of  the  slain 
courtier  along  with  them.  On  their  way  to  the  palace 
they  were  met  by  the  police,  who  mistook  them  for 
robbers  carrying  a  dead  comrade,  and  attempted  to 
arrest  them.  The  king  and  his  men  drew  their 
swords  and  resisted,  so  that  a  fight  again  ensued, 
which  ended  in  the  whole  party  being  captured  after 
several  persons  had  been  killed  and  wounded  on  both 
sides.  On  taking  their  prisoners  to  the  guard-house 
the  police  discovered  that  they  had  arrested  their 
own  king  and  became  so  terrified  that  they  took  to 
their  heels.  The  king  arrived  at  the  palace,  with 
his  courtiers,  so  fatigued  and  wounded  that  he  was 
unable  to  rise  from  his  couch  for  several  days. 
Nevertheless  he  issued  orders  to  fine,  imprison,  and 
punish  the  people  of  Khoja  Naym,  who  had  during 


STORY  OF   THE    UNLUCKY  SHOAYB.         131 

the  night  attacked  certain  persons  in  the  bazar  and 
had  even  killed  one  of  their  number. 

On  the  following  evening  the  king  ordered  two 
intimate  friends  to  come  to  his  private  apartments, 
when  he  spoke  to  them  as  follows :  "  Although  at 
present  all  appearances  are  in  favour  of  the  vazir's 
assertion,  yet  I  am  unwilling  to  concede  that  it  is 
true.  You  must  go  again  in  search  of  that  stranger, 
and  possibly  we  may  at  last  get  hold  of  him."  But 
the  courtiers  replied :  "  It  is  not  advisable  that 
your  majesty  should  take  any  more  trouble  in  this 
matter,  lest  it  should  result  in  greater  misfortunes." 
"I  see,"  said  the  king,  "that  I  cannot  entrust  this 
service  to  any  one,  and  therefore  I  must  go  myself." 
Accordingly,  when  evening  was  somewhat  advanced, 
he  set  out  with  a  number  of  attendants,  and  while 
strolling  through  the  bazars,  he  chanced  to  look  into 
the  public  bath-house,  and  there  he  saw  Shoayb 
sitting  in  earnest  conversation  with  the  fireman,  and 
sent  a  servant  to  call  him  out.  When  Shoayb  had 
come  into  the  street  his  majesty  said  to  him  :  "  I 
am  in  great  favour  with  the  king.  I  had  a  brother 
resembling  you  in  stature  and  features  who  was  also 
in  the  royal  service,  and  just  when  he  had  been 
appointed  to  a  high  office  an  accident  hastened 
him  to  the  next  world.  No  one,  however,  knows 
of  this  but  myself;  and  as  I  am  very  desirous  that 
the  position  to  which  he  was  promoted  should  be 
enjoyed   by  a  member  of  my  family,    I   propose  to 


132  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

substitute  you  in  his  stead,  and  present  you  to  the 
king ;  and  after  you  receive  his  favours  you  will  be 
sent  to  your  post  in  the  country,  whereby  the  dark 
night  of  your  reverses  will  be  changed  to  the  bright 
morning  of  happiness."  Shoayb  joyfully  agreed  to 
this  proposal,  and  the  king,  handing  a  purse  to  an 
attendant,  said  to  him  :  "  Take  charge  of  this  man ; 
to-morrow  take  him  to  the  bath,  and  purchase  with 
this  gold  whatever  is  required.  I  shall  also  send  the 
necessary  costume  and  on  the  following  day  present 
him  to  his  majesty." 

As  Shoayb  and  the  royal  servant  were  proceeding 
along  together,  the  latter  asked  Shoayb  to  carry 
the  gold  for  a  short  while,  and  just  then  one  of 
the  king's  elephants,  that  had  become  mad  and 
broken  loose,  rushing  through  the  street  overthrew 
the  servant  and  trampled  him  to  death.  This  so 
frightened  Shoayb  that  he  would  not  remain  in 
the  place,  and  having  no  other  acquaintance,  he 
returned  to  the  fireman  of  the  bath-house.  When 
Shoayb  entered,  the  man  perceived  the  bag  in  his 
hand,  and  fancied  he  had  brought  some  delicious 
food ;  but  as  Shoayb  showed  no  signs  of  wishing 
him  to  partake  of  it,  he  resolved  to  possess  it  by  a 
stratagem.  He  kindled  some  dry  w^ood  over  the 
bath,  and,  suddenly  affecting  to  be  in  great  distress, 
exclaimed:  "Woe  is  me!  the  roof  has  caught  fire, 
and  as  the  bath-house  is  close  to  the  bazar  it  will 
also  become  a  prey  to  the  flames ! "     Then  handing 


STORY  OF  THE    UNLUCKY  SHOAYB.         133 

a  bucket  to  Shoayb,  he  said :  "  Brother,  fill  this 
bucket  at  the  river  and  come  back  quickly  that  we 
may  extinguish  the  fire,  from  which  the  whole  world 
is  in  danger ! "  Shoayb  took  the  bucket  and  went 
out ;  but  as  soon  as  he  had  disappeared  the  cupidity 
of  the  fireman  would  not  allow  him  first  to  extin- 
guish the  flames,  but  impelled  him  to  examine  the 
bag,  and  when  to  his  astonishment  he  found  it 
full  of  gold  he  exclaimed  joyfully :  "  This  is  indeed 
great  luck ! "  But  while  he  was  concealing  the 
treasure  in  an  aperture  in  the  wall  the  flames  in- 
creased so  much  that  they  enveloped  the  whole 
roof,  and  some  sparks  falling  on  the  heaps  of  fuel 
around  the  building  kindled  them,  and  attracted 
the  people  of  the  quarter  to  the  scene,  where  they 
found  the  covetous  man  burnt  to  a  cinder.  Mean- 
while the  conflagration  increased,  being  fanned  by 
the  wind,  and  it  was  only  put  out  with  great  labour, 
and  after  much  property  was  destroyed  and  many 
persons  lost  their  lives. 

While  Shoayb  was  going  to  fetch  water  he  lost  his 
way,  and  met  a  party  of  thieves  carrying  on  their 
backs  the  plunder  which  they  had  just  taken  from  a 
house.  As  soon  as  they  caught  sight  of  him  they 
compelled  him  also  to  carry  a  burden,  and  proceeded 
to  the  town-wall,  which  they  scaled  by  throwing 
up  a  rope-ladder,  and  in  the  same  manner  they 
descended  on  the  other  side.  They  walked  on  until 
they  reached  a  cemetery,  where  they  deposited  their 


134  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

booty,  and  then  proposed  to  kill  Shoayb,  but  one 
of  the  gang,  more  merciful  than  his  comrades,  said  : 
"  Friends,  is  it  not  enough  that  we  steal,  but  we  must 
also  commit  murder?  This  man  can  do  us  no  harm." 
Others,  however,  replied:  "A  head  which  is  cut  off 
cannot  speak;"  and  the  discussion  was  becoming  very 
warm  when  one  of  the  king's  spies  chanced  to  pass 
by,  and  hearing  voices  issuing  from  the  vault,  he 
listened  and  soon  ascertained  what  was  going  on. 
Then  he  rode  quickly  to  the  town  and  brought  a 
number  of  armed  men,  with  whom  he  rushed  into  the 
vault,  and  killed  all  the  thieves.  After  they  had 
examined  the  plunder  and  were  beginning  to  remove 
it,  they  discovered  in  a  corner  a  man  crouching  down, 
with  his  hands  tied,  and  asked  him  :  "Who  are  you?" 
Shoayb  replied  that  he  was  a  poor  stranger  who  had 
been  robbed  and  was  just  about  to  be  killed  when 
they  arrived.  The  men  bade  him  take  of  the  plunder 
whatever  belonged  to  him,  and  he  was  not  slow  in 
appropriating  a  Kuran^  with  several  other  articles  and 
walked  away.     As  soon  as  the  morning  dawned  and 

1  Copies  of  the  Kuran  are  always  very  beautifully  written  and 
often  illuminated  with  great  taste  and  splendour,  and  are  very 
costly.  Poor  Shoayb  may,  however,  have  been  induced  to 
select  a  Kuran  out  of  the  robbers'  booty  rather  from  motives  of 
piety  than  from  any  desire  of  gain. — I  may  mention  that,  although 
the  art  of  printing  is  now  practised  both  in  Persia  and  Turkey, 
copies  of  the  Kuran  are  still  multiplied  (or  were  so  till  very 
lately)  by  handwriting,  from  a  superstitious  notion  that  the  impure 
materials  employed  in  printing  would  profane  the  sacred  text. 


STORY  OF  THE    UNLUCKY  SHOAYB.         135 

the  city  gates  were  opened  Shoayb  entered  ;  but  as  the 
householder  who  had  been  robbed  immediately  gave 
notice  to  the  authorities,  they  were  on  the  alert ;  and 
he  himself  happening  to  be  near  the  gate  by  which 
Shoayb  entered  at  once  recognised  his  own  Kuran  and 
the  other  things  the  unlucky  man  was  carrying.  The 
servants  of  the  householder  caught  hold  of  him  and 
said  :  "  Where  have  you  got  these  articles  ?"  He 
replied  :  "  They  are  my  property."  Shoayb  was,  of 
course,  taken  for  a  thief,  and  the  servants  tied  his 
hands  and  were  about  to  bring  him  before  the 
authorities,  when  the  armed  men  who  had  slain  the 
robbers  returned,  after  having  secreted  the  plunder 
and  thrown  the  bodies  into  the  river.  When  they 
found  Shoayb  in  this  difficulty,  they  knew  that  if  he 
were  tortured  he  would  make  a  confession  and  bring 
all  of  them  into  trouble,  and  that  they  would  not  be 
credited  with  having  taken  their  plunder  from  the 
thieves  but  would  be  considered  as  robbers  them- 
selves, and  thus  forfeit  their  lives.  So  they  determined 
to  liberate  Shoayb,  and,  assembling  a  great  number 
of  their  friends,  they  demanded  that  the  innocent 
prisoner  should  be  delivered  to  them.  This  was 
refused,  and  a  fight  ensued  which  swelled  to  such 
dimensions  that  about  a  thousand  men  were  killed, 
and  a  rumour  spread  that  an  enemy  had  invaded 
the  capital.  The  king  at  once  despatched  a  body 
of  ten  thousand  men,  with  orders  to  quell  the  tumult 
at  any  price,  which  they  did,   and   brought  a  multi- 


136  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

tude  of  prisoners,  including  Shoayb,  into  the  presence 
of  the  king. 

Now  the  vazi'r,  when  the  king  discussed  the  subject 
of  Shoayb's  misfortunes  with  him,  knew  that  his 
majesty  would  endeavour  to  disprove  his  assertions, 
so  he  had  appointed  some  men  to  watch  occurrences 
day  and  night,  and  to  keep  a  record  of  every  mis- 
fortune which  should  befall  the  people  on  account  of 
Shoayb.  They  performed  their  duties  very  faithfully, 
and  had  by  this  time  compiled  a  document  of  consider- 
able length.  And  when  the  king  discovered  Shoayb 
among  the  prisoners  and  the  wounded  who  had  been 
brought  before  him,  he  inwardly  acknowledged  his 
error  and  Avas  convinced  that  the  vazir  was  right.  The 
first  man  whom  he  called  forth  from  the  assembly  was 
the  owner  of  the  stolen  property,  which  he  identified 
in  the  hands  of  Shoayb  of  Baghdad,  and  many  others 
bore  witness  to  the  truth  of  his  statement.  Then 
quoth  the  king  to  Shoayb  :  "I  know  that  you  are 
not  a  thief  and  a  robber,  and  it  is  probable  that  he 
who  is  not  a  thief  is  also  not  a  liar.  I  therefore  com- 
mand you  to  give  a  true  account  of  this  business." 
The  poor  fellow  in  reply  related  every  circumstance 
from  his  going  to  fetch  water  till  his  falling  among 
thieves,  and  so  on  to  the  end.  Then  the  king  thus 
spake  to  the  armed  men  of  his  spy  :  "  Cupidity  spoils 
everything  in  this  world.  Had  you  simply  captured 
the  thieves  and  brought  them  to  me  you  would  have 
deserved  a  reward.     But  by  taking  their  plunder  you 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 


have  become  their  accomplices  and  the  cause  of  so 
great  confusion  and  slaughter.  You  are  worthy  of 
death,  but  as  you  have  slain  the  thieves  I  pardon 
you ;  at  the  same  time  I  command  you  to  restore 
the  goods  to  the  owners  and  leave  the  city  together 
with  Shoayb."  After  the  people  had  been  dismissed 
the  vazir  produced  the  document  in  which  the  calami- 
ties connected  with  Shoayb  were  recorded,  and  it 
was  found  that  within  the  space  of  twelve  days  one 
thousand  five  hundred  men  had  lost  their  lives,  be- 
sides the  injuries  suffered  by  those  who  had  been 
wounded  and  had  lost  their  property. 

Conclusion  of  the  History  of  Nassar. 

Having  thus  ended  his  third  example,  the  vazir 
added  :  "As  this  story  likewise  clearly  shows  the  truth 
of  my  assertion,  your  majesty  would  do  well  to  dis- 
miss Nassar  to  a  distant  country  until  the  rust  of  his 
misfortunes  is  wiped  off  the  mirror  of  his  circum- 
stances, when  you  may  safely  receive  him  again  into 
your  royal  favour."  The  king  of  Eg}'pt  approved  of 
this  advice,  and  ordered  the  vazir  to  give  Nassar 
a  thousand  dinars  and  send  him  away.  The  vazir 
immediately  sent  for  Nassar  and  gave  him  the  money ; 
he  even  apologised  to  Nassar,  and  desired  him  to 
return  after  his  fortune  had  become  more  propitious, 
when  his  majesty  would  receive  him  most  graciously, 
and  reward  him  handsomely. 

Nassar  was  very  sad  and  knew  not  where  to  go,  till 


138  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

he  recollected  that  Khayrandish  had  given  him  a  ring 
which  he  was  to  show  at  Aleppo  to  his  friend  Abii 
Jurjas,  if  he  should  fall  into  any  troubles  and  be  in 
need  of  assistance.  So  he  set  out  for  that  city.  On 
the  way  he  came  to  a  delightful  meadow,  adorned  with 
trees  and  flowers,  and  as  he  was  fatigued  he  lay  down 
near  a  beautiful  spring,  and,  placing  the  gold  he  had 
received  from  the  vazir  under  his  head,  soon  fell 
asleep.  Presently  he  was  awoke  by  a  voice  exclaim- 
ing :  "  Young  man,  this  is  a  perilous  place  for  resting 
or  sleeping  in.  Arise,  and  save  your  life ! "  He 
leaped  up  hastily  and  fled.  After  a  while  he  re- 
collected that  he  had  forgotten  his  gold,  but  was  afraid 
to  return  ;  and  considering  this  also  as  a  consequence 
of  his  ill-luck  he  continued  his  journey. 

When  he  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  hermitage  of 
Abu  Jurjas,  he  beheld  it  in  a  state  of  neatness  and 
cleanliness.  From  its  walls  blessings  and  felicities 
radiated ;  but  he  could  find  no  trace  of  the  hermit. 
After  looking  all  round,  he  perceived  a  man  sleeping 
on  a  couch,  and  said  to  himself:  "This  must  be  the 
hermit,  who  has  probably  spent  the  night  in  devotion 
and  is  now  sleeping."  Accordingly  he  waited  till 
evening,  but  the  hermit  did  not  move.  Then  thought 
Nassar :  "Although  it  is  uncivil  to  awaken  any  one 
from  sleep,  yet  as  this  man  would  be  sorry  to  miss 
the  time  for  evening  prayers  I  must  disturb  him." 
He  therefore  went  forward  and  shook  the  hermit 
.slightly,   but   still   he   did   not   move.      He   perceived 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR.  139 

a  slip  of  paper  on  the  pillow  which  contained  these 
words  : 

"  Fortunate  youth  !  on  the  bank  of  the  river  of  life 
no  tree  grows  which  is  not  blown  down  by  the  wind  of 
Fate.  In  a  vision  I  was  informed  that  you  would  come 
hither,  but  whilst  I  was  alive  I  expected  you  in  vain. 
But  since  the  goblet  of  my  existence  has  become  filled 
to-day,  I  could  not  postpone  my  departure,  and, 
bowing  my  head  obediently  to  the  summons  of  the 
omnipotent  Sovereign,  I  laid  myself  down  on  my 
death-bed.  I  am  perfectly  aware  of  what  you  have 
come  to  seek.  Dread  nothing  :  all  your  reverses  will 
soon  be  turned  to  prosperity.  Friend,  I  have  three 
injunctions  to  communicate  to  you  :  First,  that  you 
wash  my  corpse  and  bury  it  in  this  place ;  secondly, 
that  as  soon  as  you  have  the  means  you  build  a 
chapel  here,  so  that  whenever  people  see  it  they  may 
remember  me,  and  their  kind  wishes  may  rejoice  my 
soul,  for  nothing  is  more  useful  to  those  who  sleep  on 
the  pillow  of  death  than  the  prayers  of  the  living  for 
their  pardon ;  and,  thirdly,  that  every  Friday  ^  night 
frankincense  or  other  perfumes  be  burnt  over  my  tomb, 

1  Friday  is  the  Muslim  Sunday — called  El-Jui!i\i,  or  the 
Assembly  ;  but  it  is  not  observed  as  a  day  exclusively  devoted  to 
religious  exercises,  like  the  "Lord's  Day"  among  our  Protestant 
"evangelicals,"  whose  motto  seems  to  be,  "Let  us  all  be  un- 
happy together,"  on  that  day  which  they  ought  rather  to  regard 
as  a  day  of  pious  rejoicing,  could  they  be  consistent  ;  nor  are 
the  superstitious  notions  associated  with  the  Sabbath  in  Jewish 
minds  entertained  by  Muslims  regarding  the  day  of  El-Juin\i. 


I40  HISTORY  OF  MASS  A  R. 

because  wherever  that  is  done  angels  of  mercy  alight. 
On  account  of  the  hardships  which  you  have  hitherto 
suffered,  your  fortune  will  henceforward  be  very  great. 
In  the  neighbourhood  of  this  spot  there  is  a  spring 
called  the  Fountain  of  Al-Kamyss,  which  was  a  place 
where  Muslim  fairies  were  wont  to  amuse  themselves, 
and  therefore  infidel  genii  have  dried  it  up.  You  must 
during  the  space  of  forty  days^  go  to  that  place  every 

1  The  numbery^r/y  seems  to  have  been  always  a  favourite  among 
Eastern  peoples,  and  it  occurs  in  the  Bible  many  times  in  con- 
nection with  important  events.  Thus  the  Flood  continued  y^ir/y 
days  (Gen.  vii,  17) ;  Joseph  and  his  kinsmen  vc\o\xxn&6.  forty  days 
for  their  father  Jacob  (Gen.  1,  3);  thrice  Moses  fasted  yb;fj/ 
days  (Exod.  xxiv,  iS,  xxxiv,  28,  and  Deut.  ix,  9-25);  during 
forty  days  the  Hebrew  spies  searched  Canaan  (Numb,  xiii,  25) ; 
Goliath  defied  the  Hebrew  army  iox  forty  days  (i  Sam.  xvii,  16); 
Elijah  fasted  yi;r/j'  days  (i  Kings  xix,  8);  Nineveh  was  to  be 
destroyed  ■a^i^x  forty  days  (Jonah  iii,  4) ;  forty  days  Ezekiel  bore 
the  iniquities  of  the  house  of  Judah,  a  day  for  a  year  (Ezek.  iv,  6) ; 
Christ  was  tempted  by  Satan  during  y^r/y  days  (Matt,  iv,  2,  and 
Mark  i,  13),  and  he  continued  forty  days  on  earth  after  his 
resurrection  (Acts  i,  3) ;  the  Israelites  were  condemned  to  wander 
in  the  wilderness  forty  years  (Numb,  xiv,  33). — Muslims  mourn 
foiiy  days  for  their  dead  ;  and  they  deem  a  woman  ceremonially 
unclean  during  forty  days  after  childbirth  :  among  the  Israelites 
the  period  was  forty  days  when  she  had  given  birth  to  a  male 
child  and  eighty  days  in  the  case  of  a  female  child. — In  the 
present  romance,  our  unlucky  hero,  Nassar,  is  directed  by  the 
hermit's  "last  will,"  as  above,  to  spend  forty  days  in  prayer  for 
the  restoration  of  the  fairies'  fountain ;  he  shoots  an  arrow 
through  a  finger-ring /^r/j  times  (p.  100);  but  his  too  expert 
archery  caused  an  accident  to  the  king,  from  the  effects  of  which 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR.  141 

day  and  pray  God  to  cause  the  water  again  to  flow. 
As  soon  as  by  divine  command  the  water  reappears, 
you  must  perform  the  sacred  ablution  of  gratitude  to 
the  Ahnighty,  when  all  the  filth  of  your  misfortunes 
will  be  removed  and  the  fairies  will  everywhere  shower 
happiness  on  your  head." 

x\fter  Nassar  had  read  the  paper  he  washed  and 
buried  the  body  of  the  hermit.  Then  he  betook  him- 
self to  the  fountain  and  prayed  during  forty  days,  at 
the  end  of  which  period  the  water  again  began  to  flow 
and  fishes  appeared  in  it,  by  order  of  the  Almighty, 
and  each  fish  bore  a  jewel  in  its  ear  and  a  ring  in 
its  mouth.  The  fishes  exclaimed  :  "  Praise  be  to  the 
Most  High  ! "  and  saluted  Nassar,  who  was  very  much 
astonished  at  the  spectacle.  Then  a  white  fish  more 
beautiful  than  all  the  others  raised  its  head  from  the 
water,  brought  the  purse  of  gold  which  Nassar  had  left 
in  the  meadow  when  he  was  scared  away  by  the 
warning  voice,  and  said  :  "  Happy  young  man  !  this  is 
your  property.     Be  not  amazed  at  the  sight  of  us,  for, 

his  majesty  did  not  recover  until  he  had  been  '■^ forty  days  under 
medical  treatment "  (p.  102) ;  poor  vShah  Manssur  was  in  the 
power  of  the  cruel  sorceress  for  nQz.x\y  forty  days  (p.  26);  and 
the  son  of  the  king  of  Tytmyran  was  tossed  about  on  the  sea  in 
a  boat  ioxfoHy  days  (p.  73).  To  conclude  this  long  note  :  forty 
is  the  usual  number  of  a  gang  of  robbers  in  Eastern  tales — that 
of  "Ali  Baba  and  the  Forty  Thieves"  will  at  once  occur  to  the 
reader  ;  and  we  have  another  example  in  the  diverting  story  of 
"Ahmed  the  Cobbler"  (Malcolm's  Sketches  of  Persia),  where 
the  king's  treasury  is  plundered  hy  forty  robbers. 


142  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

though  we  are  now  in  the  form  of  fishes,  we  are  in 
reality  fairies,  and  live  according  to  the  ordinances  of 
Islam ;  and  for  this  reason  we  usually  assume  the 
shape  of  fish,  because  they  are  the  most  innocent  of 
God's  creatures.^  This  fountain  is  our  abode  and 
place  of  amusement.  When  the  malevolent  genii  had, 
on  account  of  their  enmity  towards  us,  dried  up  this 
spring,  we  were  compelled  to  wander  about ;  but  now 
that,  by  the  blessing  of  your  advent,  the  water  has 
again  appeared,  we  are  engaged  in  praising  God  and 
in  thanking  you.  Young  man,  in  the  meadow  where 
you  slept  near  a  fountain  we  warned  you  to  depart, 
because  that  region  is  the  abode  of  a  tremendous 
dragon  which  has  destroyed  numberless  people  by  its 
fiery  breath,  and  no  one  has  been  able  to  kill  it.  The 
astrologers  have  predicted  that  a  stranger  will  destroy 
the  monster,  and  the  king  of  the  country,  who  has  no 
offspring,  has  made  a  vow  that  he  will  abdicate  the 
throne  in  favour  of  that  fortunate  stranger.  We  shall 
reward  your  good  deed  by  killing  the  dragon  and 
bringing  you  a  sign,  whereby  you  shall  obtain  the  bride 
of  royalty  and  gain  every  day  a  hundredfold  more  than 
your  father  Khoja  Humayiin  has  lost." 

Then  the  fairies  brought  forth  various  savoury 
dishes,  of  which  they  invited  him  to  eat,  while  they 
went  and  slew  the  dragon,  after  which  they  vanished. 
But  soon  a  great  tempest  and  dust  enveloped  the 
whole  firmament  in  confusion  and  darkness ;  and  when 

1  Excepting,  surely,  "  the  shark  and  the  sun-fish  dark  "! 


HISTORY  OF  NASSAR.  143 

all  the  noise  and  turmoil  had  passed  away,  the  surface 
of  the  fountain  became  slightly  agitated,  and  the  fishes 
again  appeared,  and  placed  the  head  of  the  dragon, 
which  was  of  monstrous  size,  on  the  brim  of  the  spring. 
Then  one  of  the  fairy  fishes  addressed  Nassar,  saying  : 
"This  dragon  was  sleeping  in  the  shadow  of  a  moun- 
tain ;  we  went  with  seventy  thousand  fairies  to  the 
spot  where  the  monster  lay,  and  separating  half  of  the 
mountain  threw  it  on  the  dragon,  which  immediately 
perished — its  last  agonies  caused  the  tempest  and 
darkness.  Although  the  service  which  we  have  thus 
done  to  you  is  as  nothing  compared  with  the  favour 
you  have  conferred  upon  us,  yet  as  every  return,  be  it 
ever  so  slight,  is  acceptable,  we  have  been  happy  to 
serve  you  ;  and,  please  God,  we  shall  hereafter  consider 
it  as  our  highest  pleasure  to  gratify  every  one  of  your 
wishes.     And  now  you  may  depart  to  the  city." 

Nassar  went  away  accordingly  ;  and  when  the  people 
saw  the  head  of  the  dragon  they  notified  the  event 
to  the  capital,  from  which  immense  crowds  issued,  so 
that  not  less  than  twenty  thousand  persons  met  Nassar 
and  escorted  him  with  great  pomp  into  the  city,  the 
people  constantly  bowing  and  thanking  him  for  the 
great  benefit  he  had  conferred  on  them.  Just  then 
the  good  king  was  on  his  deathbed,  and,  having  no 
son,  his  ministers  did  not  know  who  should  be  his 
successor.  But  when  they  heard  of  Nassar's  entrance 
into  the  city  they  instantly  conveyed  him  before  the 
dying  king,  who  was  rejoiced  to  learn  that  the  dragon 


144  HISTORY  OF  NASSAR. 

was  slain,  kissed  Nassar  on  the  forehead,  offered  his 
thanksgivings  to  the  Most  High,  murmuring :  "  If  I 
must  die,  I  have  now  no  other  wish."  Then  he 
handed  his  diadem  and  royal  signet  to  Nassar,  and 
said  to  the  vazi'r  :  "  He  is  indeed  a  good  servant  who 
obeys  his  sovereign  on  his  deathbed  ;  therefore  now 
let  every  one  who  loves  me  pay  his  allegiance  to 
Nassar."  With  one  accord  the  ministers  and  others 
who  were  present  did  homage  to  Nassar  and  elevated 
him  to  the  throne  of  royalty. 

When  the  king  died  Nassar  began  to  govern. 
He  fulfilled  the  last  wishes  of  the  hermit.  He  sent 
messengers  to  Baghdad  to  bring  his  father  Khoja 
Humayiin  with  all  his  relatives,  and  on  their  arrival, 
with  great  ceremony  and  pomp,  the  father  rejoiced 
to  meet  his  son  like  Jacob  when  he  was  brought 
to  Joseph.  Nassar  appointed  his  father  to  be  his 
vazir  and  bestowed  high  stations  on  all  his  kindred ; 
he  also  wrote  a  letter  to  the  king  of  Egypt,  which 
he  sent  with  many  gifts,  informing  him  of  the  happy 
turn  his  destiny  had  taken.  Thus  Nassar,  although 
for  some  time  in  the  gripe  of  various  misfortunes, 
became  ultimately  very  happy  and  spent  his  life  in 
great  comfort. 


HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 


HISTORY  OF    FARRUKHRUZ, 

THE    FAVOURITE   OF    FORTUNE,  i 
CHAPTER   I. 

HOW  THREE  BROTHERS  SET  OUT  ON  A  TRADING  JOURNEY — 
HOW  THE  YOUNGEST  IS  CRUELLY  ABANDONED  BY  HIS 
ELDER    BRETHREN-  HOW    HE   MEETS    WITH    ROYAL   FAVOUR. 

IN  ancient  times  there  lived  in  Kashmir  a  jeweller 
called  Khoja  Marjan,  who  was  very  lucky  in 
all  his  dealings  and  amassed  great  wealth.  He  had 
three  sons,  the  two  elder  of  whom  were  of  a  foolish 
and  lazy  disposition,  and  one  day  the  Khoja  said 
to  them:    "According  to  the  requirements   of  this 

1  "  Sometimes  it  happens,"  says  our  author,  "that  a  man 
is  such  a  favourite  of  fortune  that  if  another  try  to  injure  him 
even  that  will  turn  to  his  advantage.  Good  men  refrain  in 
thought  and  word  and  deed  from  injuring  their  fellow  men  ; 
but  evil-minded  men  resemble  scorpions  in  their  nature,  stinging 
everybody  without  cause,  and  with  no  profit  to  themselves, 
while  the  objects  of  their  hatred  nevertheless  prosper; — as 
will  appear  from  the  following  story  of  the  adventures  of 
Farrukhriiz,  whose  success  was  promoted  by  the  enmity  which 
the  vazirs  of  the  king  of  Yaman  entertained  against  him." 


148  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

world,  everyone  must  do  something  for  his  Hving. 
You  may  have  heard  that  at  first  I  was  only  the 
servant  of  a  jeweller,  yet  I  have,  by  dint  of  industry, 
overcome  all  obstacles,  so  that  in  this  city  there  is 
no  person  who  is  richer  than  myself.  It  would  be  a 
pity  if  you  were,  in  your  folly,  to  trust  in  my  opulence 
and  engage  in  no  occupation,  because  in  this  way 
many  who  had  the  greatest  expectations  were  dis- 
appointed and  reduced  to  misery.  If  any  man,  though 
he  be  rich,  knows  only  how  to  spend  and  never  to 
gain,  it  is  very  probable  that  he  will  exhaust  all  his 
resources.  Therefore  as  our  business  is  commerce, 
which  is  promoted  by  trading  in  different  places,  I 
desire  you  to  gain  your  livelihood  in  that  manner 
as  long  as  I  am  alive,  and  for  this  purpose  I  shall 
give  to  each  of  you  some  goods,  and  thus  you  may 
carry  on  business."^ 

The  name  of  the  Khoja's  third  son  was  Farrukh- 
riiz;  he  was  a  great  deal  more  intelligent  than  his 
brothers  and  therefore  loved  his  father  more ;  so, 
after  the  Khoja  had  delivered  the  promised  goods  to 
his  two  elder  sons,  he  privately  handed  to  Farrukhnlz 
a  small  casket,  saying  :  "  My  dear  son,  the  true  touch- 
stone of  young  men  is  travel,  by  which  their  ability 

1  A  sensible  man  !  He  was  well  aware  that  frequently  "riches 
take  unto  themselves  wings  and  flee  away."  The  sons  of  "self- 
made  "  men  seldom  turn  out  to  be  of  much  account — probably 
because  fathers  such  as  Khoja  Marjan  are  not  often  found  among 
those  whose  sole  aim  in  life  has  been  to  "mak'  siller"  ! 


THE    THREE  BROTHERS.  149 

appears.  Although  none  of  you  has  yet  made  a 
journey,  the  results  of  which  might  show  your  skill 
and  intelligence,  yet  my  paternal  love  whispers  to 
me  that  you  are  the  worthiest  of  my  sons.  In  this 
casket  there  is  a  cock  which  skillful  artisans  have 
carved  from  a  single  ruby  and  inserted  inside  of  it 
various  contrivances,  so  that  it  is  such  a  great  curiosity 
that  its  like  has  not  been  seen  in  the  world.  Keep 
it  secret  from  your  brothers,  so  that  should  you  fall 
into  trouble  you  may  still  help  yourself  by  presenting 
it  as  a  gift  to  some  king." 

The  three  brothers,  having  received  each  his 
portion  of  goods  from  their  father,  began  to  journey 
to  Iran,  and  arrived  first  at  the  city  of  Herat, 
which  was  at  that  time  governed  with  justice  and 
equity.  In  that  delightful  place  the  two  elder  sons 
of  Khoja  Marjan  spent  all  their  time  in  pleasure, 
but  Farrukhrilz  engaged  himself  in  business.  One 
day  he  ventured  to  admonish  his  brothers,  but  they 
stretched  forth  the  neck  of  impudence  and  refused 
to  listen  to  his  advice.  At  last,  however,  their  dis- 
sipated ways  reduced  them  to  poverty,  and  such  was 
their  misery  that  they  purposed  committing  suicide. 
Farrukhrilz  took  pity  on  them  and  gave  them  some 
of  his  own  goods,  saying :  "  Dear  brothers,  you  have 
only  yourselves  to  blame  for  what  has  happened." 
They  soon  squandered  their  brother's  bounty,  and 
when  he  requested  them  to  continue  the  journey, 
they  replied  that  they  had   no  resources  at  all  and 


I50  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

would  not  move  from  that  place.  So  Farrukhruz 
was  obliged  to  leave  them  and  proceeded  to  the 
city  of  Shi'raz,  where  he  traded  for  some  time, 
gained  much  wealth,  and  became  acquainted  with  a 
most  excellent  man  named  Zayn  al-Mofaherin,  who 
presented  him  with  a  ring  when  he  was  about  to 
depart  and  said :  "  As  men  are  everywhere  beset 
by  dangers,  especially  in  travelling,  I  give  you  this 
ring,  and  in  case  you  should  fall  into  distress  you 
must  show  it  to  a  friend  of  mine  in  Mosul,  whose 
name  is  Habib,  and  he  will  aid  you." 

Farrukhruz  then  departed  for  Tabriz,  where  he 
opened  a  shop,  and  having  made  very  large  profits 
he  resolved  to  proceed  to  the  country  of  the  Franks, 
and  purchased  various  kinds  of  merchandise  required 
in  that  part  of  the  world,  which  he  placed  on  the 
backs  of  twenty  strings  of  camels.  On  reaching 
Baghdad  he  stopped  there  for  some  time  on  account 
of  his  commercial  transactions  \  and  it  happened 
one  day,  when  he  was  walking  about  the  bazar  as 
usual,  that  he  remarked  among  the  porters  two  men 
exactly  resembling  his  brothers,  but  they  were  so  dirty 
and  ragged,  with  their  hair  and  beards  unkempt,  that 
he  was  at  first  unwilling  to  approach  them,  and  they 
did  not  appear  to  recognise  him.  He  ordered  one 
of  his  servants  to  call  them  aside,  and  when  they 
came  he  burst  into  tears,  and  they  also  wept  and 
were  ashamed  to  look  in  his  face.  He  gave  to  each 
of  them    a    quantity   of  goods,    saying :     "  My   dear 


THE    THREE   BROTHERS.  151 

brothers,  those  that  walk  in  the  streets  of  safety  will 
never  be  assailed  by  the  dust  of  trouble.  You  may 
return  home  wath  the  goods  I  have  given  you." 
But  they  replied :  "  Why  should  we  separate  from 
so  kind  and  loving  a  brother?  We  wish  to  obey  and 
follow  you  wherever  you  go." 

In  short,  the  three  brothers  left  Baghdad  together 
and  travelled  towards  the  country  of  the  Franks. 
But  when  the  two  ne'er-do-well  brothers  discovered 
the  wealth  of  Farrukhriiz  the  flames  of  envy  and 
cupidity  were  kindled  in  the  oven  of  their  hearts, 
and  one  said  to  the  other :  "  What  is  the  use  of 
such  a  life,  that  we  should  be  subject  to  our  younger 
brother  ?  We  shall  earn  only  shame  in  the  sight  of 
our  father  and  everybody,  and  so  long  as  we  live 
the  stain  of  despondency  and  poverty  will  never 
disappear  from  our  characters,  while  he  will  always 
enjoy  honour  and  respect.  We  must  in  some  way 
cause  his  death,  so  as  to  obtain  possession  of  his 
property,  after  which  we  may  return  home  and  say 
that  a  fatal  mishap  has  befallen  him.  "  Thus  did 
those  two  ungrateful  men  wipe  from  the  tablets  of 
their  minds,  with  the  water  of  treachery  and  faith- 
lessness, the  benefits  they  had  received,  and  having 
agreed  about  the  crime  they  watched  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  perpetrate  it. 

On  arriving  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Frank  country 
they  embarked  in  a  vessel,  which  carried  a  skiff, 
and    one    day    the    brothers    said    to     Farrukhruz  : 


152  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

"  Come,  let  us  all  three  get  down  into  the  boat, 
which  is  quite  empty,  and  we  may  rest  ourselves 
better  in  it  than  in  this  ship. "  Farrukhruz  con- 
sented, and  when  they  had  all  gone  down  into  the 
skifif  the  two  seniors  said  it  would  be  more  comfort- 
able to  have  some  bedding,  and  went  back  into 
the  ship  to  fetch  it,  leaving  Farrukhruz  in  the 
little  boat,  who  presently  perceived  to  his  great 
consternation  that  it  had  been  cast  loose  and  was 
gradually  drifting  away  from  the  vessel.  The  sailors 
noticed  this  occurrence  when  it  was  too  late  to 
recover  their  boat.  Farrukhruz  at  once  concluded 
that  this  had  been  done  by  his  brothers,  but,  con- 
sidering that  lamentation  is  of  no  avail,  he  thanked 
God  that  he  had  nothing  more  to  fear  from  his 
brothers,  and  trusting  to  the  mercy  of  the  Most 
High,  who  is  able  to  deliver  us  from  all  dangers, 
he  fell  asleep.  Nor  did  he  indeed  encounter  the 
least  peril,  for  on  the  third  day  his  skiff  arrived  safely 
on  the  coast  of  Yaman.^ 

Farrukhruz  went  on  shore,  hoping  to  discover  some 
inhabited  place,  when  the  king  of  Yaman,  who 
happened  to  be  on  a  hunting  excursion,  came  in  sight 
with  a  splendid  cavalcade,  so  he  drew  near  the  prince, 
made  his  obeisance,  and  spoke  as  follows :  "  Your 
majesty's  humble  servant  has  tasted  of  the  bitterness 
of  misfortune,  and  hope  impels  him  to  prostrate  him- 
self at  your  feet."     The  king  stopped  and  looked  at 

1  Or  Yemen  :  the  ancient  Arabia  Felix. 


ROYAL   FAVOURS.  153 

Farrukhriiz,  who  took  out  the  cock  given  to  him  by 
his  father  and  presented  it  to  his  majesty,  who  was 
greatly  pleased  with  the  gift.  To  all  questions 
Farrukhriiz  returned  very  intelligent  answers,  and  in 
a  few  days  he  so  won  the  affection  of  the  king  that 
he  said  to  him  :  "  I  thank  God  for  having  become 
acquainted  with  such  a  prudent  and  honest  man  as 
you  are.  Speak  your  mind  freely  to  me  on  all 
subjects."  Farrukhriiz  replied :  "  May  the  light  of 
your  majesty's  most  happy  government  always  remain 
shining  in  the  assembly  of  prosperity,  and  may  it 
always  be  protected  in  the  lantern  of  divine  favour 
from  every  wind  of  adversity !  Your  humble  servant 
desires  only  to  behold  the  glory  of  your  majesty  ;  and, 
as  he  has  experienced  reverses  of  fortune,  he  craves 
merely  permission  to  sojourn  for  a  time  under  the 
protection  of  this  government."  The  king  readily 
agreed  to  his  request,  and  assigned  a  lodging  with 
the  means  of  subsistence  to  Farrukhriiz,  who  was 
assiduous  in  attending  court,  and  succeeded  in  in- 
gratiating himself  so  well  that  he  became  one  of  the 
favourites  of  the  king,  and  was  appointed  to  so  high 
a  station  that  the  other  counsellors,  secretaries,  and 
great  officials  became  such  in  name  only,  because 
the  authority  of  Farrukhriiz  had  in  all  matters  be- 
come paramount. 


154  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

CHAPTER   II. 

THE  hero's  quest  OF  A  THRONE  OF  MARVELLOUS  GEMS. 

This  elevation  of  a  stranger  to  the  highest  post  did 
not  fail  to  excite  universal  jealousy  and  envy,  and  all 
the  courtiers  sought  an  opportunity  of  removing  Far- 
rukhriiz.  On  a  certain  occasion  the  king  gave  a 
great  banquet,  at  which  the  wonderful  cock  was  ex- 
hibited, and  when  the  repast  was  over  the  king  thus 
addressed  his  guests  :  "  You  have  all  seen  the  world, 
but  you  have  at  no  royal  court  beheld  a  curiosity  such 
as  this  which  Farrukhriiz  has  presented  to  me."  The 
envious  courtiers  replied  :  "  That  is  true  ;  but  we  con- 
ceive that  if  your  majesty  were  to  order  a  throne  to 
be  constructed  of  white  chrysolites,  yellow  emeralds, 
and  red  diamonds,  it  would  surpass  anything  ever  pos- 
sessed by  any  sovereign."  Quoth  the  king,  smiling: 
"  You  are  wishing  for  an  impossibility,  because  I  have 
never  heard  that  there  exist  white  chrysolites,  yellow 
emeralds,  or  red  diamonds ;  but  if  so,  they  are  prob- 
ably so  rare  that  sufficient  of  them  could  not  be 
obtained  for  a  ring,  not  to  speak  of  a  throne."  The 
courtiers  rejoined  :  "  Any  affair  that  can  possibly  be 
accomplished  is  open  to  the  competition  of  skilful 
and  experienced  persons."  In  this  strain  they  con- 
tinued until  they  succeeded  in  exciting  in  the  king 
a  desire  to  possess  such  a  throne,  so  he  asked  them : 
"  AVHio  then  can  procure  a  sufficient  quantity  of  such 


THE  HERMIT.  155 


precious  stones  with  which  to  construct  a  throne?" 
To  this  question  they  unanimously  repHed :  "  The 
business  may  be  accompHshed  by  a  very  intelHgent 
man,  and  we  know  of  no  other  than  Farrukhriiz 
who  is  quahfied  to  undertake  it,  seeing  that  he  has 
already  brought  a  curiosity  the  like  of  which  is  not 
to  be  found  in  the  world."  But  the  king  said  that, 
as  Farrukhriiz  had  become  so  useful  to  him,  he  could 
not  dispense  with  his  presence.  Farrukhriiz,  how- 
ever, rose  from  his  place  and  offered  his  services, 
promising  to  return  within  the  space  of  forty  days.^ 
So  the  king  gave  him  the  required  leave  of  absence, 
and  he  proceeded,  according  to  the  advice  of  Zayn 
al-Mofaherin,  to  Mosiil,  in  search  of  the  hermit  Habib, 
whom  he  found  in  a  cave  near  that  town. 

The  hermit  was  a  devout  old  man,  reposing  himself 
in  perfect  innocence  and  piety  in  the  mansion  of 
tranquillity  and  asceticism,  with  a  mind  free  from  the 
shackles  of  animal  passions,  and  engaged  in  humbly 
praising  and  worshipping  the  Bestower  of  all  gifts. 
Farrukhriiz  made  his  salam,  presented  the  ring  of 
Zayn  al-Mofaherin,  and  was  welcomed  by  the  hermit, 
who  said  :  "  I  am  glad  to  see  you — I  know  the  ring 
of  my  friend ;  and  as  it  has  been  during  my  whole 
life  a  pleasure  to  assist  all  true  believers,  I  request 
you  to  inform  me  of  your  wants."  Farrukhriiz  ex- 
plained his  case,  after  which  the  hermit  continued  : 
"  Although  no   one   has  ever   returned  disappointed 

1  "  Forty  days  "  again  ! — see  ante,  note  on  pp.  140,  141. 


156  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

from  this  place,  I  must  inform  you  that  your  enemies 
have  contrived  to  send  you  in  search  of  objects  the 
attainment  whereof  they  conceived  to  be  impossible, 
and  indeed  the  affair  is  a  very  difficult  one.  Let  us 
however  trust  in  God,  who  is  able  to  help  us." 

About  sunset  the  hermit  offered  up  the  customary 
prayers,  after  which  he  said  to  Farrukhruz :  "  By 
divine  inspiration  I  learn  that  in  Syria  there  is  a 
mountain  near  which  is  a  spot  inhabited  by  genii 
and  fairies,  who  possess  many  of  the  precious  stones 
you  require.  They  are  stored  in  the  treasury  of  their 
king,  but  no  man  has  dared  to  approach  the  place 
since  the  time  of  King  Sulayman  (on  whom  be  bless- 
ings !).  At  present,  however,  a  son  of  the  king  of  the 
fairies  is  suffering  from  lunacy,  which  greatly  dis- 
tresses his  father.  All  physicians  who  tried  to  cure 
him  entirely  failed  ;  but  I  shall  teach  you  a  prayer 
which  will  restore  him  to  health,  and  the  king  will 
very  gratefully  reward  you."  Then  the  hermit  taught 
Farrukhruz  the  prayer,  and  giving  him  a  staff,  said : 
"This  staff  is  made  from  the  cocoa-nut  tree  of  Ceylon, 
one  of  whose  numerous  properties  is  that  it  conveys 
its  owner  safely  through  all  dangers  to  the  place 
of  its  destination.^     The  various  genii  and  sorcerers 

1  A  kind  of  witch's  broomstick,  apparently.  It  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  our  author  (or  the  holy  hermit)  did  not  specify  the 
other  properties  of  this  wonderful  staff!  Doubtless  it  also 
provided  the  possessor  with  "meat,  drink,  and  clothing,"  in 
common  with  similar  magical  articles  which  figure  in  the  fair)- 
tales  of  all  peoples. 


A    BEVY  OF  FAIRIES.  157 

harbouring  enmity  towards  mankind  assume  different 
forms  and  infest  the  road,  and  accompHsh  the  ruin 
of  many  travellers.  There  is  no  doubt  but  they  will 
also  lay  snares  for  you,  and  should  you  be  so  foolish 
as  to  lose  this  staff  you  will  fall  into  troubles  from 
which  you  may  never  escape." 

Farrukhriiz  then  took  his  leave  of  the  hermit, 
started  on  his  journey,  and  arrived  after  several  days 
within  the  dominions  of  the  fairies,  entering  a  pleasant 
meadow  adorned  with  beautiful  flowers  and  rivulets. 
The  fragrant  vegetation  and  salubrious  air  which  he 
inhaled  exhilarated  Farrukhriiz,  and  invited  him  to 
walk  about  in  that  delightful  spot.  He  soon  perceived 
a  group  of  beauteous  fairies  sitting  around  one  of 
their  own  sex,  who  seemed  to  be  their  queen,  on 
seeing  whom  he  was  so  fascinated  by  her  attractions 
that  he  stood  still  as  if  petrified,  but  his  heart 
palpitated  violently.  A  fairy  presently  approached 
him,  and  taking  him  by  the  hand  drew  him  into  the 
circle.  He  completely  forgot  the  admonitions  of 
the  hermit,  and  chatted  with  the  fairy  damsel  very 
pleasantly,  till  they  all  leapt  up  nimbly  and  taking 
him  along  with  him,  walked  till  they  came  to  a  palace 
which  the  ladies  entered,  but  Farrukhriiz  was  turned 
away  by  the  male  attendants  with  these  words  : 
"  This  is  not  a  place  where  any  stranger  may  freely  go 
in  and  out."  Accordingly  he  sat  down  in  melancholy 
and  expectation,  and  after  a  short  space  one  of  those 
heart-ravishers  issued  forth  to  call  him.     Farrukhriiz 


158  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

quickly  arose  to  obey  the  joyful  summons,  but  a 
gate-keeper  met  him  half-way,  saying :  "  The  laws  of 
courtesy  prohibit  any  one  from  entering  the  private 
apartments  of  high  personages  armed ;  it  would  be 
highly  improper  for  you  to  pay  your  respects  to  the 
queen  of  this  country  with  a  staff  in  your  hand." 
Then  he  took  the  staff  from  Farrukhruz,  who  rushed 
in  as  if  intoxicated  with  the  desire  of  beholding 
the  object  of  his  adoration.  When  he  entered,  he 
found  himself  in  a  paradise-like  place  containing  a 
throne  ornamented  with  innumerable  gems,  on  which 
that  beauty  reposed  like  the  world-illuming  sun,  with 
all  the  attendant  ladies  seated  around  her,  conversing, 
playing  on  musical  instruments,  laughing,  eating,  and 
drinking. 

Farrukhruz  was  rejoiced  at  beholding  this  scene, 
and  flattered  himself  that  he  might  soon  become 
more  closely  acquainted  with  the  occupant  of  the 
throne,  considering  himself  as  already  happier  than  a 
thousand  kings  of  Yaman.  Nor  was  he  disappointed 
in  his  expectations  ;  for  the  charming  queen  addressed 
him  in  the  most  gratifying  terms  \  dallied  with  him 
amorously ;  and  having  asked  for  a  goblet  of  wine  she 
sipped  some  of  it,  and  handing  it  to  him  desired  him 
to  quaff  the  contents.  But  no  sooner  had  Farrakhruz 
done  so  than  he  became  transformed  into  a  monkey, 
with  dugs  full  of  milk,  and  several  young  monkeys 
tugging  at  them,  in  the  midst  of  a  shoreless  ocean, 
and  floating  on  a  piece  of  timber.     He  looked  in  all 


MAGICAL    TRANSFORMATION.  159 

directions,  but  perceived  no  land,  and  awaking,  in 
his  bitter  grief,  from  his  sleep  of  carelessness,  he 
recollected  the  advice  of  Habib  the  hermit  and  the 
loss  of  his  staff.  But  his  self-reproaches  availed  him 
nothing,  while  the  little  monkeys  pulled  away  at  the 
teats  and  were  even  manifesting  their  enmity ;  but 
the  maternal  kindness  of  a  monkey,  with  which  he 
had  been  invested,  prevented  him  from  retaliating. 
In  this  manner  he  spent  several  days  without  food, 
drink,  sleep,  or  rest,  suffering  from  the  burning  heat 
of  the  sun,  and  imploring  the  mercy  of  the  Almighty 
to  rescue  him  from  this  peril,  till  at  last  after  the 
expiration  of  seven  days  a  ship  came  in  sight,  from 
which  a  beautiful  lady  descended  into  a  skiff  with 
two  attendants.  The  skiff  was  rowed  about  the  sea 
till  it  approached  the  piece  of  timber  on  which 
Farrukhrilz  was  sitting,  when  he  began  to  moan 
most  pitifully  after  the  manner  of  monkeys,  which 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  lady  and  she  said  to  her 
attendants  :  "  Unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken,  I  again 
behold  an  effect  of  the  wickedness  of  that  God- 
forgetting  fairy,  who  has  changed  this  poor  wretch 
into  a  monkey."  Then  she  uttered  a  magic  spell, 
,upon  which  Farrukhniz  sneezed  and  immediately 
recovered  his  human  shape.  The  piece  of  timber 
drew  near  the  skiff,  and  as  soon  as  Farrukhruz 
stepped  into  it  he  perceived  he  was  in  a  garden  with 
the  beautiful  lady  and  several  other  persons,  when 
he    exclaimed :    "  Praise   be   to    God  !    I    experience 


i6o  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

wonderful  changes ! "  The  lady  took  him  by  the 
hand,  congratulated  him  on  his  delivery,  and  said  : 
"  Be  of  good  cheer.  I  have,  by  divine  Providence, 
been  guided  to  this  spot,  and  have  thus  been  enabled 
to  save  you.  Others  have  fallen  into  the  same 
snare  like  yourself  and  have  lost  their  lives,  while 
you  have  come  forth  unscathed  from  the  whirlpool 
of  calamity." 

For  a  while  the  lady  promenaded  with  Farrukhruz, 
and  then  they  proceeded  to  a  splendid  mansion, 
wherein  was  a  throne  encrusted  with  jewels  on  which 
she  took  her  seat,  and  was  waited  upon  by  legions 
of  attendants.  Presently  most  delicious  food  was 
brought  to  Farrukhruz,  who  broke  his  fast  of  seven 
days,  and  having  satisfied  his  hunger  and  recovered 
his  strength  he  was  obliged  to  relate  his  adventures. 
Then  quoth  the  lady  :  "  Since  cunning  and  hatred 
have  brought  so  much  trouble  on  your  head,  perhaps 
kindness  may  now  do  somewhat  to  aid  you.  Know 
that  the  wicked  fairy  who  has  injured  you  is  my  sister. 
Her  name  is  Nafisa,  and  we  are  both  the  daughters 
of  King  Nubahar,  who  reigned  supreme  over  all  the 
fairies  of  this  country ;  but  after  our  father's  death 
my  sister  was  for  some  time  led  astray  from  the  true 
faith  by  an  infidel  genie  who  got  her  into  his  power, 
and  even  now  she  tries  to  injure  Muslims  as  much 
as  she  can."  Having  thus  spoken,  she  whispered 
to  a  fairy,  who  went  away  and  returned  with  the  staff 
which  the  hermit   Habib  had   given  to  Farrukhriiz, 


THE  KING  OF  THE  FAIRIES.  i6r 

and  of  which  the  other  fairies  had  deprived  him. 
Farrukhruz  thanked  the  queen,  who  then  said :  "  I 
should  be  glad  if  you  were  to  remain  here  and  live 
with  me,  but  I  wish  not  to  detain  you.  Yet  I  be- 
seech you  to  return,  because  that  comfort  which  you 
may  enjoy  here  you  will  never  find  among  men  and 
their  follies.  In  the  meanwhile,  however,  you  may 
go  in  quest  of  the  precious  stones  you  are  in  want 
of:  the  king  whose  son  is  subject  to  fits  of  lunacy 
is  my  uncle,  and  he  possesses  a  countless  store  of 
the  gems  you  require,  but  is  in  great  distress  on 
account  of  his  son's  malady."  Then  she  sent  one 
of  her  courtiers  with  Farrukhruz  to  inform  her  uncle 
that  he  would  cure  the  prince. 

Farrukhruz  left  the  park  wdth  the  fairy  courtier,  and 
at  the  gate  there  was  a  box  wherein  he  was  requested 
to  take  his  position  and  close  his  eyes,  and  on  opening 
them  after  a  moment  he  perceived  that  he  had  been 
transported  into  a  royal  palace,  the  like  of  which,  for 
beauty,  magnificence,  and  decoration,  no  human  eye 
had  ever  beheld.  There  he  saw  a  monarch  seated  on 
a  throne  with  great  pomp  and  surrounded  by  numerous 
courtiers,  all  of  whom  were  in  deep  mourning.  He 
was  presented  by  his  guide  to  the  king,  who  said  to 
him:  "Young  man,  considering  that  human  beings 
excel  all  other  earthly  creatures  in  beneficence  and 
happiness,  I  welcome  your  advent.  I  am  informed 
that  you  have  come  to  cure  my  son,  and  if  you  do  so 
I  shall  feel  myself  indebted  to  you  as  long  as  I  live." 

IM 


1 62  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

Farrukhrilz  replied :  "  Exalted  sovereign,  although 
€very  cure  depends  in  the  first  place  upon  the  mercy 
of  the  Most  High,  your  humble  servant  possesses  a 
supplication  in  which  he  has  the  fullest  confidence, 
and  hopes  by  means  of  it  to  effect  a  cure."  The  king 
then  gave  orders  to  produce  the  prince,  who  was 
accordingly  brought  forth  in  bonds  and  chains.  He 
wept  by  turns  like  a  vernal  cloud  and  smiled  like  a 
fresh  rose ;  he  had  also  fits  of  a  violent  character.  As 
soon  as  Farrukhrilz  cast  his  eyes  upon  the  afflicted 
prince  he  opened  the  portals  of  eloquence  with  the 
name  of  God  and  recited  the  prayer  which  he  had 
learned  of  Habib  the  hermit.  When  he  had  com- 
pleted the  invocation  the  prince  recovered  the  perfect 
use  of  his  intellect  and  was  cured;  he  sneezed  a 
few  times,  thanked  God,  and  asked :  "  For  what 
cause  have  I  been  put  in  chains  ? "  At  these  words 
the  king  manifested  his  joy,  kissed  the  prince,  and 
delivered  him  from  his  chains,  and  all  the  fairies 
rejoiced.  Then  quoth  the  sultan  to  Farrukhriiz  :  "  I 
cannot  express  to  you  my  gratitude  in  words,  nor  am 
I  able  to  reward  you.  May  God  requite  you  ! " 
Farrukhrilz  opened  the  lips  of  civility,  saying :  "I  am 
delighted  with  the  fortunate  result  of  my  prayer,"  and 
preferred  his  request  for  the  precious  stones,  when  the 
king  immediately  caused  immense  quantities  of  white 
chrysolites,  yellow  emeralds,  and  red  diamonds  to  be 
brought  from  the  treasury,  and  ordered  a  skilful  genie 
to   construct   a   throne   with    the   gems,    which    was 


THE  KING   OF   THE  FAIRIES.  163 

instantly  done.  When  it  was  evening  a  genie  called 
Tahmatan,  who  moved  with  the  celerity  of  lightning, 
departed  with  the  throne  to  the  kingdom  of  Yaman, 
accompanied  by  Farrukhriiz,  to  whom  the  king  of  the 
fairies  said  afifectionately  :  "Take  this  ring,  which  has 
been  kept  for  many  ages  in  the  treasury  of  my 
ancestors,  and  the  possession  of  which  is  connected 
with  numerous  blessings ;  keep  it  always  on  your 
finger,  and  it  will  preserve  you  from  all  misfortunes, 
except  when  you  are  in  a  state  of  ceremonial  unclean- 
ness,  because  the  Ineffable  Name  is  written  on  it ;  ^ 

1  ^hislims  have  derived  from  the  Jewish  cabbalists  the  notion 
of  the  marvellous  efficacy  of  the  "unutterable  Name  "  of  God — 
called  by  the  Arabs  El-Ism  elAazam,  "  the  Most  Great  Name." 
It  was,  they  say,  engraved  on  Solomon's  signet-ring,  by  means 
of  which  he  subdued  all  the  genii  and  demons,  sav' e  one  rebel- 
lious and  powerful  genie  called  Sakhr,  who  concealed  himself  in 
an  island  in  mid-ocean.  But  the  Wise  King  "took  up  "  with 
strange  women — with  the  daughters  of  idolatrous  kings  whom 
he  had  conquered  in  battle  ;  and  to  one  of  those  he  gave  his  ring 
one  unlucky  day,  to  keep  for  him  while  he  was  at  his  bath.  The 
demon  Sakhr,  who  had  been  prowling  invisibly  about  the  palace, 
in  hopes  of  catching  his  royal  enemy  at  an  unguarded  moment, 
assumed  Solomon's  form  and  readily  obtained  possession  of  the 
wonder-working  ring,  and  sat  on  the  throne  of  Israel,  while 
Solomon — whose  appearance  was  at  once  changed — was  driven 
forth,  to  wander  up  and  down  the  land  as  a  beggar.  To  be 
brief,  the  ring  was,  after  long  years,  found  in  the  maw  of  a  fish — 
Sakhr  having  thrown  it  away  when  he  fled,  on  being  detected 
as  an  imposter  by  the  reading  of  the  Law  in  his  presence — and 
Solomon  "came  to  his  own  again."  Solomon's  signet-ring 
figures  frequently  in  Muslim  romances  and  stories  :  it  was  with 


1 64  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

and  if  you  keep  it  with  you  when  in  such  a  condition 
you  will  become  subject  to  fits  of  epilepsy  and  lunacy, 
and  it  will  return  to  our  treasury,  nor  will  any  mortal 
be  able  to  cure  you  except  ourselves.  Whenever  any 
difficulty  occurs  to  you,  turn  the  ring  on  the  forefinger 
of  your  right  hand,  and  ask  aid  of  the  victorious  spirit 
of  Sulayman  (on  whom  be  blessing !),  when  instantly 
a  genie  will  make  his  appearance,  to  whom  you  may 
entrust  any  service  and  he  will  accomplish  it.  But 
you  must  not  let  it  be  seen  by  wicked  demons,  who 
are  the  sworn  enemies  of  mankind,  lest  they  should 
deprive  you  of  this  talisman."  Farrukhruz  thanked  the 
king  and  was  taken  up  by  Tahmatan  with  the  throne 
at  midnight  and  set  down  in  Yaman  before  daybreak. 
When  Farrukhriiz  had   departed   in  quest  of  the 

this  magical  ring  that  he  sealed  the  copper  vessels  into  which  he 
conjured  certain  rebellious  genii,  and  then  caused  them  to  be 
thrown  into  the  sea ;  it  also  gave  him  power  over  all  creatures 
on  the  earth  and  in  the  waters,  and  over  the  eight  winds,  which, 
at  his  command,  wafted  through  the  air,  whithersoever  he  pleased, 
himself  and  his  army  on  the  marvellous  carpet  woven  for  him  by 
genii — to  which  the  poet  Baha-ed-Din  Zuhayr,  of  Eg)'pt,  thus 
alludes  in  an  address  to  his  lady-love  : 

"  And  now  I  bid  the  very  wind 

To  speed  my  loving  message  on, 
As  though  I  might  its  fury  bind. 

Like  Solomon." 
The  wind  is  a  common  messenger  of  love  in  the  amatory  poetiy 
of  the  East ; — thus  a  pre-Islamite  Arabian  poet  exclaims  in  apo- 
strophising his  beloved  :  "  O  may  the  western  breeze  tell  thee  of 
my  ardent  desire  to  return  home ! " 


HAPPY  RETURN.  165 

wonderful  gems,  the  envious  vazi'rs  and  secretaries  were 
delighted,  believing  that  he  would  never  return.  But 
the  king  was  grieved  at  being  separated  from  his 
favourite  and  impatiently  counted  the  days  of  his 
absence.  At  last  he  said  to  his  courtiers :  "  What 
need  had  I  of  such  a  throne,  since  the  society  of  such 
a  friend  was  more  valuable  to  me  than  a  thousand 
thrones  of  king  Sulayman  ?  Perchance  Farrukhruz  has 
been  unable  to  attain  his  object  and  is  ashamed  to 
return."  The  vazirs  professed  to  agree  with  the  king's 
opinion,  being  afraid  to  contradict  him.  On  the  fortieth 
day,  however,  Farrukhruz  brought  the  throne  to  the 
palace  before  any  of  the  vazirs  or  secretaries  had 
made  their  appearance.  At  the  joyful  sight  the  king 
embraced  and  kissed  him  affectionately,  and  ordered 
all  the  great  drums  of  gladness  to  be  beaten.  The 
grandees,  who  were  yet  in  their  own  houses,  were 
astonished  at  the  sounds  they  heard,  and  when  they 
learned  what  had  happened  they  were  confused  and 
dismayed.  On  going  to  the  palace,  and  seeing  that 
the  honour  which  Farrukhruz  had  before  enjoyed  w^as 
greatly  increased,  they  said  one  to  another :  "  The 
luck  of  this  man  is  truly  marvellous,  since  he  has 
accomplished  what  everybody  considered  an  impossi- 
bility."' 


1 66  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE    HERO    GOES    IN    QUEST    OF    FOUR    TREASURE-TREES,    AND    IS 
MARRIED    TO   THE    QUEEN    OF   THE    FAIRIES. 

The  king  of  Yaman  again  gave  a  grand  banquet,  at 
which  the  wonderful  cock  was  exhibited  beside  the 
magnificent  throne  which  Farrukhruz  had  brought 
from  fairyland,  and  which  was  greatly  admired  by  the 
assembled  people.  The  vazirs  were  obliged  to  conceal 
their  malevolence,  and  after  giving  utterance  to  many 
expressions  of  admiration  they  said  :  "  Although  your 
majesty's  humble  servants  and  well-wishers  are  unable 
to  produce  anything  themselves,  yet  they  consider  it 
their  duty  to  suggest  anything  which  might  increase 
your  glory.  If  four  date-trees  of  gold,  having  fruits 
and  leaves  of  jewels,  were  placed  at  the  four  corners 
of  this  throne  there  is  no  doubt  your  majesty  would 
be  unequalled  as  the  possessor  of  costly  and  rare 
objects,  and  no  monarch  on  earth  could  pretend  to 
the  least  shadow  of  equality  with  our  king."^     The 

1  I  reproduce  the  following  notes  on  treasure-trees  from  my 
paper  on  the  Franklin's  Tale  (entitled  "The  Damsel's  Rash 
Promise " )  in  Originals  and  Analogues  of  some  of  Chancei's 
"  Canterlnuy  Tales"  printed  for  the  Chaucer  Society,  p.  336: 

In  the  Katlui  Sarit  SAgara — an  ancient  vSanskrit  story-book — 
we  read  of  trees  with  golden  trunks,  branches  of  jewels,  the  clear 
white  flowers  of  which  were  clusters  of  pearls ;  golden  lotuses, 
etc.  Aladdin,  it  will  be  remembered,  found  in  the  cave,  where 
was  deposited  the  magic  lamp,  trees  bearing  "  fruit  "  of  emeralds 
and  other  gems  of  great  price,  with  which  he  took  care  to  stuff 
his  pockets. 


THE    TREASURE-TREES.  167 

sultan  smiled  disdainfully  and  said :    "  Such  a  wish 
cannot  be  realised ;  for,  though  I  have  perused  many 

In  the  medieval  romance  of  Alexander  we  are  told  how  the 
world-conqueror  jousted  with  Porus  for  his  kingdom,  and  having 
overthrown  him,  he  found  in  the  palace  of  the  vanquished 
monarch  innumerable  treasures,  and  amongst  others  a  vine  of 
which  the  branches  were  gold,  the  leaves  emerald,  and  the  fruit 
of  other  precious  stones — a  fiction,  says  Dunlop,  which  seems  to 
have  been  suggested  by  the  golden  vine  which  Pompey  carried 
away  from  Jerusalem. 

The  garden  of  Duke  Isope,  as  described  in  the  Talc  of  Beryn 
(vSupp.  Canterbury  Tales  :  Ch.  Soc. ,  p.  84),  had  a  similar  tree  : 
"  In  mydward  of  this  garden  stant  a  feire  tre, 
Of  alle  maner  levis  that  under  sky  [there]  be, 
I-forgit  and  i-fourmyd,  eche  in  his  degre, 
Of  sylvir,  and  of  golde  fyne,  that  lusty  ben  to  see." 
As  the  treasures  coveted  by  the  Arimaspians  were  guarded  by 
griffiins,  and  the  golden  apples  of  the  Hesperides  by  a  dragon,  so 
this  garden  of  Duke  Isope  was  kept  by  eight  "  tregetours,"  or 
magicians,  who  looked  like  "abominabill  wormys,"  enough  to 
frighten  the  bravest  man  on  earth. 

The  Italian  poet  Boiardo,  in  the  12th  canto  of  his  Orlando 
Inna?jiorato,  represents  the  virtuous  Tisbina  as  promising  her 
love  to  Iroldo,  who  is  madly  enamoured  of  her,  on  condition 
that  he  perform  a  certain  task  for  her:  "Beyond  the  forest  of 
Barbar)',"  says  she,  "is  a  fair  garden,  which  has  an  iron  wall. 
Herein  entrance  can  be  obtained  by  four  gates  :  one  Life  keeps. 
Death,  another.  Poverty,  another,  and  Riches,  another.  WTroso 
goes  therein  must  depart  by  the  opposite  gate.  In  the  midst  is  a 
tree  of  vast  height,  far  as  an  arrow  may  mount  aloft ;  that  tree  is 
of  mar^'ellous  price,  for  whenever  it  blossoms  it  puts  forth  pearls, 
and  it  is  called  the  Treasure-Tree,  for  it  has  apples  of  emerald 
and  boughs  of  gold.  A  branch  of  this  tree,"  adds  the  fair 
Tisbina,  "  I  must  have,  otherwise  I  am  in  hea\^  case." 


HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 


biographical  and  historical  works,  I  have  never  read 
that  anything  of  this  kind  exists  in  the  world."  They 
replied  :  "  May  it  please  your  majesty,  there  is  nothing 
which  will  not  yield  to  skill  and  intelligent  efforts." 
Quoth  the  king  :  "  Who,  then,  is  able  to  procure  those 
objects?"  "Farrukhruz  is  the  man,"  said  the  vazi'rs. 
"God  forbid,"  exclaimed  the  king,  "that  I  should 
burden  him  with  this  affair,  seeing  that  I  am  already 
under  great  obligations  to  him.  Propose  some  one 
else."  After  the  conversation  had  thus  continued  for 
some  time,  Farrukhruz  stood  up  and  said  :  "  If  your 
majesty  will  give  me  leave,  I  shall  be  most  happy  to 
undertake  this  business."  The  king  hesitated  long, 
but  ultimately  permitted  him  to  go,  on  condition  that 
he  returned  at  the  end  of  six  months. 

Farrukhruz  accordingly  departed  in  quest  of  the 
treasure-trees,  and  when  he  was  well  out  of  the  city 
he  took  the  signet-ring  given  to  him  by  the  king  of 
the  fairies  and  put  it  on  his  finger,  when  immediately 
an  afrit  1  of  dreadful  aspect,  large  as  an  elephant  and 
fierce  as  a  dragon,  appeared  before  him,  and  bowing 
humbly  said  :  "  I  am  Kashank  the  afrit  whom  the 
king  of  the  fairies  has  sent  to  serve  you,  and  I  have 
come  to  execute  your  orders."  "  I  wish  to  see  her 
majesty  the  queen  of  the  fairies,"  rejoined  Farrukhrilz, 
upon  which  the  afrit  Kashank  drew  the  finger  of 
obedience  over  the  eyes  of  acquiescence,  and  taking 
Farrukhruz  on  his  back  ascended  into  the  sky. 

1  A  species  of  inferior  yV««z',  or  genie. 


A   SPITEFUL  FAIRY.  169 

After  the  fairy  queen  had  despatched  Farrukhruz 
to  her  cousin  to  cure  his  son,  she  sent  a  number 
of  afrits  for  her  sister  Nafisa,  who  had  ill-treated 
Farrukhruz,  and  when  she  w^as  brought  the  queen 
spoke  to  her  thus:  "Sinful  woman  I  how  is  it  that 
you  always  afflict  Muslims,  who  are  of  all  men  by 
their  piety  and  devotion  the  greatest  favourites  in 
the  courts  of  Unity.  How  had  poor  Farrukhruz 
offended  you  that  you  should  change  him  into  a 
monkey?"  Then  the  queen  would  have  punished 
her,  but  all  the  fairies  pleaded  in  her  favour  and 
Nafisa  was  pardoned.  But  so  far  from  feeling 
grateful  for  this  clemency,  Nafisa,  to  avenge  the 
humiliation  which  she  had  been  forced  to  endure  at 
the  court  of  her  sister,  plotted  with  a  number  of 
malevolent  genii  against  Queen  Banil.  Knowing 
that  her  sister  wished  to  marry  Farrukhrdz,  and  that 
he  had  cured  the  prince  and  obtained  from  his  father 
such  a  powerful  talisman  as  the  signet-ring,  she  said 
to  her  complotters :  "  It  is  likely  that  the  love  which 
Farrukhruz  entertains  for  Queen  Banii  will  induce 
him  to  visit  her  presently,  and  as  she  has  so  deeply 
insulted  me  you  must  kill  him  and  thus  disappoint 
her.  Let  one  of  my  damsels  be  dressed  to  resemble 
Queen  Banu,  and  send  her  with  a  suitable  retinue  to 
meet  Farrukhruz,  who  will  mistake  her  for  the  queen 
and  marry  her.  In  his  attentions  to  her  he  will 
become  careless  about  the  ring,  so  that  you  will  be 
able  to  take  it   from  his   finger  and  then  easily  put 


I70  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHKUZ. 

him  to  death."  Matters  having  been  thus  arranged, 
they  waited  for  the  appearance  of  Farrukhruz.  It 
happened  also  that  Kashank  the  afrit,  whom  the  king 
of  the  fairies  had  sent  to  Farrukhruz,  was  a  friend 
and  well-wisher  of  Nafisa,  so  he  informed  her  of  his 
errand,  and  she  in  return  disclosed  to  him  her  scheme, 
upon  which  he  said  :  "  Be  not  dismayed ;  make  all 
arrangements  for  your  damsel  to  meet  Farrukhruz  in 
the  spot  where  you  first  saw  him,  and  I  shall  bring 
him  thither." 

When  Kashank  took  up  Farrukhniz  he  ascended 
higher  than  any  flight  of  imagination  could  conceive, 
but  on  coming  over  the  country  of  Syria  he  gradually 
lowered  himself  and  set  Farrukhruz  down  in  the  fairy 
park,  saying :  "  Happy  mortal !  as  the  secrets  of  our 
minds  are  known  to  our  true  friends  and  reflected  to 
each  other  in  the  mirrors  of  their  hearts,  the  queen 
has  obtained  the  glad  tidings  of  your  propitious 
advent,  and  will  to-day  throw  a  halo  of  felicity  by 
meeting  you  with  a  numerous  company  in  this  very 
place.  I  have  brought  you  here  to  see  your  love." 
Farrukhruz  was  charmed  with  this  information,  and 
presently  was  introduced  to  one  of  Nafisa's  maids, 
dressed  to  personate  Queen  Banu,  seated  on  a  throne, 
and  surrounded  by  numerous  attendants,  in  great 
pomp  and  dignity.  He  was  deceived  by  her  striking 
resemblance  to  the  queen,  and,  losing  self-possession, 
eagerly    ran    to    meet    her,    and   they  fell    into    each 


ANOTHER    TRANSFORMATIOX.  171 

Other's  arms.  After  the  first  ebuUition  of  joy  was 
over,  she  invited  him  to  seat  himself  on  the  throne 
by  her  side,  and  conversed  with  him  on  his  adventures. 
On  being  informed  of  the  envy  of  the  vazi'rs  she  said  : 
"  Beloved  friend,  are  you  not  disgusted  to  live  among 
persons  who  are  unable  to  appreciate  your  merits  and 
send  you  on  such  errands  ?  I  entreat  you  by  your 
love  not  to  expose  yourself  to  farther  dangers,  and 
never  to  return  to  that  place.  Remain  with  me,  and 
let  us  both  be  happy."  While  she  was  thus  cajoling 
Farrukhriiz  her  attendants  gradually  disappeared,  and 
when  they  were  quite  alone  she  threw  her  arms 
around  his  neck  and  kissed  him.  Farrukhriiz  had 
no  sooner  yielded  to  the  impulse  of  his  passions  than 
he  felt  that  his  mind  was  becoming  deranged ;  his 
head  became  dizzy  and  he  closed  his  eyes,  and  on 
opening  them  again  he  could  find  no  trace  of  his 
mistress,  and  the  whole  scene  was  changed.  He 
heard  the  wind  blowing  and  thunders  roaring ;  his 
mind  was  confused  ;  he  began  to  babble  incoherently, 
and  at  last  was  drowned  in  the  ocean  of  unconscious- 
ness. When  he  recovered  from  his  trance  he  found 
that  he  had  assumed  the  form  of  an  old  barber  in 
Damascus,  and  was  just  then  engaged  in  shaving 
the  head  of  a  customer,  having  in  his  shop  the 
utensils  required  in  the  trade  and  a  number  of 
apprentices  standing  round  him.  He  was  amazed  at 
this  new  scene,  and  thought  within  himself:  "What 
have   I   come  to?"   and  recollecting  the  signet-ring, 


172  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

with  the    injunction   of  the    king   of  the   fairies,   he 
began  to  weep  bitterly. 

The  man  whom  he  was  shaving  saw  him  moving 
his  hps,  muttering  something,  and  shaking  his  head ; 
so  he  said  to  him  :  "  Barber,  what  is  the  matter  with 
you  ?  Perhaps  you  are  calculating  the  income  of 
your  trade,  or  have  been  long  in  the  bath,  the  fumes 
of  which  have  muddled  your  brains,  that  you  have 
stopped  shaving  my  head.  ^  Be  quick  !  The  police 
magistrate  has  invited  a  large  number  of  high  person- 
ages to  be  his  guests  to-day,  and  there  is  no  one 
except  myself  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements 
for  the  repast."  But  Farrukhrijz  was  so  absorbed 
in  his  thoughts  about  Queen  Banii  that  he  paid  not 
the  least  attention  to  what  his  customer  said,  at  which 
the   latter   became   wroth    and    expostulated,    where- 

1  It  is  a  general  practice  of  Muslim  men  to  shave  their  heads, 
leaving  in  front  a  kakull^  or  tuft  of  hair,  in  order,  according  to 
some  writers,  that  an  enemy,  in  the  day  of  battle,  after  cutting 
off  the  head  of  any  of  the  faithful  whom  he  had  slain,  should 
have  wherewithal  to  carry  it,  and  not  require  to  pollute  it  by 
thrusting  his  fingers  into  the  mouth.  This  bears  some  resem- 
lilance  to  the  tuft  which  North  American  Indians  wear,  as  a 
defiance  to  their  foes — to  scalp  them  if  they  can  !  The  tuft  on 
the  Muslim's  head,  however,  serves  another  purpose,  in  being 
allowed  to  grow  for  some  time  before  he  sets  out  on  the  pilgrim- 
age to  Makka,  so  that,  arrived  there,  he  can  twist  it  round  his 
head  like  a  turban,  as  a  guard  against  the  fierce  Arabian  sun. 
The  Brahmans  also  shave  their  heads,  leaving  a  similar  tuft, 
which,  like  the  "pig-tail"  of  a  Chinaman,  is  a  mark  of  respect- 
ability, and  its  removal  is  a  very  great  disgrace. 


'' KASHA NK,    THE  AFRIT r'  173 

upon  Farrukhruz,  who  imagined  him  to  be  the  afrit 
Kashank,  threw  away  his  razor,  and  tore  his  own 
clothes  from  top  to  bottom,  strewed  dust  on  his  head, 
struck  the  man  several  times,  began  to  weep,  and 
exclaimed  :  "  Wicked  afrit  I  the  king  of  the  fairies 
warned  me  to  be  on  my  guard  .against  such  as  you, 
and  not  let  them  see  the  ring.  I  disregarded  this 
injunction  and  trusted  in  you.  By  your  perfidy  I 
have  lost  a  talisman  which  is  more  valuable  than  the 
diadem  of  Iskandar  or  the  goblet  of  Jamshid!^  I 
have  been  deprived  of  the  society  of  my  mistress  and 
become  subject  to  fits  of  lunacy  and  epilepsy,  and 
have  lost  my  happiness.  You  are  not  satisfied  with 
having  thus  reduced  me  to  misery,  but  you  even  now 
rail  at  me."  The  customer  jumped  up,  bareheaded 
as  he  was,  and  ran  into  the  bazar,  pursued  by  Far- 
rukhriiz  shouting  :   "  Muslims  !  seize  on  Kashank  the 

1  Iskandar,  or  Sikandar :  Alexander  the  Great,  of  whom 
Muslim  writers  relate  many  wonderful  stories — especially  the 
Persian  poet  Nizami,  in  his  famous  Sikandar- Ndma,  or  Alex- 
ander-Book.— ^Jamshid  was  the  fourth  of  the  first  (or  Pishdadi) 
dynasty  of  ancient  Persian  kings.  He  is  said  to  have  founded 
Persepolis,  and  introduced  the  solar  year,  and  ordered  the  first 
day  of  it,  when  the  sun  entered  Aries,  to  be  celebrated  by  a 
magnificent  festival,  which  is  still  obser\"ed  in  Persia,  and  is 
called  the  Nti  Riiz,  or  the  New  Day.  Of  his  goblet,  above 
referred  to,  Jain-i-Jainshid,  or  the  Cup  of  Jamshid,  marvellous 
things  are  related  :  it  mirrored  the  whole  world,  foreshadowed 
future  events,  and  so  forth.  It  is  said  that  such  was  its  lustre 
that  it  dazzled  all  beholders,  and  hence  poets  have  found  it  a 
convenient  simile  for  the  brilliant  eyes  of  a  pretty  girl. 


174  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

afrit,  who  has  deeply  wronged  me,  and  destroyed  my 
peace  of  mind  !"  As  he  was  thus  bawHng  and  running 
after  the  man,  his  girdle  became  loose  and  falling  to 
his  feet  he  stumbled  and  fell  to  the  ground,  breaking 
his  brow  and  losing  a  great  quantity  of  blood. 

When  the  people  saw  the  servant  of  the  police 
magistrate  running  bare-headed,  and  a  decrepit  old 
barber  pursuing  him  and  falling  down  wounded,  as 
they  knew  the  other  man  to  be  a  very  bad  char- 
acter, they  concluded  that  he  must  have  injured  the 
barber,  so  they  assailed  Farrukhruz  with  questions, 
to  all  of  which  he  only  replied  :  "  Seize  the  afrit 
Kashank,  who  has  done  me  damage  of  the  value 
of  a  thousand  tomans ! "  The  people  said  :  "  We 
know  him  to  be  the  servant  of  the  police  magistrate 
and  a  very  great  scoundrel.  He  may  have  injured 
you,  but  his  name  is  not  Kashank  the  afrit.  He 
has  now  escaped,  but  if  you  submit  your  case  to 
his  master  he  will  be  punished."  Then  the  people 
bound  up  his  wound  and  accompanied  him  to  the 
magistrate.  Farrukhruz  tumbled  headlong  into  the 
office  and  shouted :  "  Muslims,  by  the  treachery 
of  Kashank  the  afrit  my  happiness  has  been  de- 
stroyed !"  Several  high  personages  happened  to  be 
with  the  magistrate  just  then  and  were  astonished 
at  the  intrusion,  but  still  more  so  when  Farrukhruz 
threw  a  stone  in  their  midst ;  and  as  a  few  days 
before  an  astrologer  had  predicted  that  bloodshed 
and    slaughter    would    take    place    in    the    country, 


''  KASHANK,    THE  AFRIT r'  175 

they  considered  this  as  an  omen  and  all  ran  away, 
while  the  magistrate  retired  to  his  women's  apart- 
ments.^    Farrukhruz  rushed   into  the    street,   calling 

1  It  does  not  appear  that  the  astrologer's  prediction  was  fulfilled 
— though  a  blind  man  once  shot  a  crow,  but,  like  the  astrologer, 
for  one  hit  he  missed  a  thousand  times.  A  good  story  is  told 
of  an  essay  in  the  capacity  of  astrologer  on  the  part  of  Anv^ari, 
the  celebrated  Persian  poet.  It  so  happened  that  in  11 86  a.d. 
(581  or  582  A. H. )  there  was  a  conjunction  of  all  the  planets 
in  the  sign  of  Libra.  Anvari  predicted  a  storm  which  would 
eradicate  trees  and  destroy  all  buildings.  When  the  fatal  day 
arrived,  it  was  perfectly  calm,  and  there  was  the  whole  year  so 
little  wind  that  the  people  were  unable  to  winnow  their  corn. 
The  unlucky  poet-astrologer  was  obliged  to  fly  to  Balkh,  where 
he  died,  in  the  reign  of  Sultan  Ala-ed-Din  Takash,  A.D.  1200 
(A.H.  596). 

Astrologers  having  predicted  for  the  year  1523  incessant  rains 
and  disastrous  floods,  the  good  abbot  of  St.  Bartholomew,  in 
Smithfield,  London,  built  a  house  at  Harrow-on-the-Hill,  and 
stored  it  with  provisions.  Many  people  followed  his  example 
and  repaired  to  high  places,  in  order  to  escape  the  expected 
deluge.  But  no  extraordinary  rains  occurring,  the  disappointed 
soothsayers  pacified  the  people  by  confessing  themselves  mis- 
taken just  one  hundred  years  in  their  calculation  ! — Readers  of 
Chaucer  will  remember  how  the  arch-rogue  Clerk  Nicolas,  for 
his  own  wicked  ends,  predicted,  to  his  simple  landlord,  the 
carpenter,  that  a  flood  was  presently  to  come  upon  the  earth, 
greater  than  that  which  Noah  and  his  family  "  rode-out "  in 
the  Ark. 

Mrs.  Meer  Hasan  Ali,  in  her  interesting  Ohscj-vations  on  the 
Mussulinatts  of  India,  says:  "It  is  wonderful  the  influence  which 
a  najuni  [i.e.  astrologer]  acquires  in  the  houses  of  many  great 
men  in  India.  ^Mierever  one  of  those  idlers  is  entertained  he  is 
the  oracle  to  be  consulted  on  all  occasions.     I  know  those  who 


176  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

out :  "  Seize  Kashank  the  afrit,  who  has  changed 
the  spring  of  my  peace  into  the  autumn  of  misery!" 
The  people  fancied  that  a  thief  had  escaped  from 
the  magistrate's  house  and  many  of  them  ran  after 
the  fugitives  shouting :  "  Catch  Kashank  the  afrit, 
who  has  run  away  from  the  house  of  the  magistrate  !" 
But  no  one  knew  who  Kashank  was. 

It  happened  that  a  very  tall,  dark-complexioned 
fellow,  with  a  long  dishevelled  beard  and  hair,  and 
dressed  in  rags,  had  arrived  from  the  desert  and 
was  walking  about  the  streets.  As  he  had  never 
before  seen  such  a  mob,  he  got  frightened  at  the 
noise  and  began  to  run  like  a  goblin  of  the  wilder- 
ness, and  the  people,  thinking  him  to  be  either 
Kashank  the  afrit  or  the  escaped  thief,  seized  and 
bound  him.  Farrukhruz  the  maniac,  taking  the 
man  for  Kashank,  then  sprang  forward,  and  striking 
him,  exclaimed  :  "  Perfidious  wretch  !  why  have  you 
deprived  me  of  my  mistress  and  my  ring,  and 
thus  precipitated  me  into  the  abyss  of  misery?" 
The  man  of  the  desert  was  astonished,  but  thought 
that  it  might  possibly  be  the  custom  thus  to  speak 
to  outsiders  who  intruded  themselves  into  the  city. 
When  the  mob  perceived  the  embarrassed  countenance 

submit  with  a  childlike  docihty  to  the  najum's  opinion,  when 
their  better  reason,  if  allowed  sway,  would  decide  against  the 
astrologer's  prediction.  If  the  najum  says  it  is  not  proper  for 
Nawab  Sahib  and  his  lady  to  eat,  drink,  or  sleep,  to  take  medi- 
cine, to  give  away  or  accept  any  gift,  the  najum  has  saiil  it,  and 
the  najum  must  be  right."     (Vol.  i,  pp.  69,  70.) 


THE  MAN  OF   THE  DESERT.  177 

and  uncouth  figure  of  the  stranger,  they  also  took 
him  for  Kashank  the  afrit  and  said:  "There  is 
no  doubt  but  he  has  greatly  injured  the  barber." 
At  last  many  people  assembled,  and  seeing  Far- 
rukhruz  lamenting  in  the  most  pitiful  manner  they 
began  to  reproach  the  stranger,  saying  :  "  O  Kashank, 
are  you  not  ashamed  of  having  done  such  wrong 
to  this  old  barber?"  The  man  of  the  desert,  who 
had  during  his  whole  life  never  been  in  a  town, 
supposed  this  to  be  the  usual  mode  of  accosting 
strangers,  so  he  made  no  reply,  merely  shaking 
his  head  like  the  goat  of  Akhfash.^  The  Amir  of 
the  city  happened  to  return  at  this  time  from  a 
hunting  excursion,  and,  seeing  the  excited  crowd 
in  the  street  through  which  he  passed,  sent  a 
chamberlain  to  make  inquiries.  He  returned  with 
the  information  that  a  fellow,  Kashank  the  afrit 
by  name,  had  deprived  the  barber  of  his  wife,  to- 
gether with  a  costly  ring.  When  Farrukhniz  beheld 
the  royal  cavalcade  he  shouted  the  more,  but  all 
that  the  Amir  and  his  courtiers  could  learn  from  him 
was  :  "  Woe  is  me !  The  whirlwind  of  the  treachery 
of  Kashank  the  afrit  has  extinguished   the   lamp   of 

1  Akhfash  was  a  Muhammedan  professor  of  grammar  and 
literature  who  was  so  unlucky  as  not  to  be  able  to  attract 
any  disciples ;  he  therefore  trained  a  goat  and  lectured  to  it, 
the  docile  animal  approving,  doubting,  or  denying  his  propo- 
sitions as  occasion  required,  and  in  course  of  time,  when  it 
had  attracted  a  very  large  number  of  scholars,  its  functions 
ceased. — E.  Rehatsek,  the  translatnr. 

N 


178  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

my  happiness,  and  the  fire  of  his  oppression  has 
melted  my  soul  and  my  life!"  The  Amir  was  of 
a  very  kind  disposition  and  would  not  suffer  even 
the  poorest  of  his  subjects  to  be  wronged,  and  he 
said  :  "  It  appears  that  this  peasant  has  so  injured 
the  poor  old  barber  as  to  cause  him  to  lose  his 
senses;"  then  calling  to  the  stranger,  who  was  now 
greatly  confused,  he  exclaimed  :  "  Wretch,  why  have 
you  wronged  this  poor  man?"  The  man  of  the  desert, 
unable  to  say  anything,  merely  shook  his  head  as 
before.  At  this  the  Amir  smiled  and  observed : 
"  Here  we  have  a  strange  plaintiff  and  an  equally 
strange  defendant,  neither  of  whom  we  are  able  to 
understand.^  Is  any  one  present  who  was  a  witness 
of  the  outrage?"  Hereupon  several  persons  came 
forward  who  had  been  in  the  shop  when  the  barber 
was  shaving  the  servant  of  the  police  magistrate, 
and  next  day  the  latter  appeared  at  the  court,  but 
nothing  could  be  elicited  inculpating  either  him  or 
the  man  from  the  desert,  and  they  were  merely 
required  to  give  securities  for  their  good  behaviour, 
while  Farrukhruz  was  sent  to  the  hospital  for  lunatics. 

As  soon  as  Nafi'sa  had,  with  the  assistance  of 
Kashank,  succeeded  in  deranging  the  mind  of  Far- 
rukhriiz,  they  sought  for  the  ring  but  could  not  find 
it.      Then   quoth    Nafisa :    "  My  object  was    not   so 

1  We  have  in  this  scene,  between  the  simple  dweller  in  the 
desert,  the  infatuated  Farrukhri'iz,  and  the  Amir,  a  capital 
example  of  Oriental  humour. 


THE  AFRIT'S  EVIL   ACTIONS.  179 

much  to  obtain  possession  of  the  ring  as  to  prevent 
Queen  Band  from  meeting  her  lover,  and  therefore 
we  must  kill  him. "  But  Kashank,  who  had  some 
experience  of  life,  replied  :  "  O  queen  of  the  universe, 
though,  for  the  sake  of  gaining  your  approbation, 
I  have  become  unfaithful  to  my  sovereign,  I  shall 
not  commit  this  new  crime,  the  consequences  of 
which  were  irreparable.  This  young  man  has  done 
much  good  by  curing  the  son  of  the  king,  who  will 
be  highly  displeased  at  what  has  happened,  but  if 
we  execute  this  second  part  of  your  scheme  we 
shall  certainly  jeopardise  our  own  lives.  "  So  it  was 
concluded  to  spare  the  life  of  Farrukhruz,  whom 
the  afrit  transported  to  Damascus,  where  he  arrived 
early  in  the  morning,  and  perceived  only  a  barber's 
shop  open,  the  owner  of  which  he  seized  and  threw 
into  the  sea,  putting  Farrukhruz  in  his  stead  after 
having  by  a  magic  spell  caused  him  to  assume  the 
form  of  the  old  man.  For  this  reason,  wise  and 
intelligent  men  have  warned  people  never  to  open 
their  shops  before  sunrise,  because  if  they  do  so  they 
become  liable  to  be  injured  by  genii  and  demons. 

After  committing  this  diabolical  crime,  Kashank 
waited  the  next  day  on  the  king  of  the  fairies,  who 
immediately  asked  about  Farrukhruz.  The  afrit 
replied ;  "  May  it  please  your  exalted  majesty,  a 
misfortune  has  befallen  Farrukhruz.  He  was  merely 
sent  by  the  king  of  Yaman  on  some  business  to 
the    river   Nile,    and   when    I    brought     him    thither 


I  So  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

the  water  became  very  rough,  and  the  afn't  Hankal, 
who  is  one  of  his  enemies,  and  dwells  in  Egypt, 
and  persecutes  human  beings,  issued  from  the  stream 
with  seventy  afrits  of  extraordinary  power,  and  as 
I  was  unable  to  cope  with  them,  they  dragged 
Farrukhriiz  under  the  water  and  separated  his  head 
from  his  body,  which  immediately  rose  again  to  the 
surface  and  became  the  prey  of  voracious  beasts, 
so  that  I  was  compelled  to  return  in  great  distress." 
At  first  the  king  believed  this  statement,  but  his  vazi'r 
Akhtar  said  to  him  :  "As  I  know  the  evil  disposition 
of  Kashank,  I  intended  to  dissuade  your  majesty 
from  appointing  him  to  this  business,  especially  as 
he  had  been  still  more  led  astray  by  Nafi'sa,  and  it 
is  most  probable  that  she  has  had  something  to  do 
in  this  matter,  since  she  has  on  a  former  occasion 
injured  Farrukhriiz  and  bears  bitter  enmity  towards 
Queen  Banii."  Then  the  king  examined  Kashank 
more  closely  but  without  effect,  and  finally  imprisoned 
him  till  farther  orders. 

The  following  day  one  of  the  treasurers  came 
before  the  king  with  a  ring  in  his  hand  and  said : 
"This  is  the  ring  which  your  majesty  gave  to 
Farrukhriiz,  and  which  has  returned  to  the  treasury.  " 
This  betokened  that  Farrukhriiz  was  still  alive,  and 
the  king  sending  for  Kashank  showed  him  the  ring 
and  told  him  that  he  would  extort  the  truth  from  him 
by  force.  Just  then  one  of  the  king's  serving  genii, 
who  had  for  some  time  been  wandering  among  men 


TRIUMPHANT  RETURN.  i8i 

for  the  purpose  of  avenging  his  brothers  death,  made 
his  appearance,  and  stated  that  he  had  seen  at 
Damascus  a  lunatic  who  was  constantly  complaining 
of  Kashank  and  was  probably  Farrukhruz.  The  king 
at  once  delivered  the  ring  to  an  afrit  with  orders  to 
bring  Farrukhruz,  which  was  done  accordingly,  and  as 
soon  as  Farrukhruz  saw  the  king  he  wept  bitterly, 
but  the  king  embraced  and  comforted  him.  Then 
the  king  of  the  fairies  sent  for  Kashank,  Nafisa,  and 
Queen  Band,  the  two  former  of  whom  he  reproved 
and  imprisoned,  and  to  the  latter  he  said  :  "  Though 
it  is  not  customary  for  fairies  to  marry  human  beings, 
yet  as  this  young  man  has  conferred  great  benefits 
on  us,  I  have  resolved  to  espouse  him  to  you  after 
the  orthodox  Muslim  manner."  Queen  Band  replied  : 
"  Noble  uncle  !  I  consider  you  as  my  father  and  shall 
obey  you  as  long  as  I  live."  The  matrimonial  cere- 
mony was  celebrated  in  due  form  and  the  happy 
couple  were  full  of  joy.  Some  time  afterwards  Far- 
rukhruz informed  the  king  of  his  promise  to  the 
sultan  of  Yaman,  and  said  that  if  he  were  allowed 
a  year's  leave  of  absence  he  would  then  return  and 
never  more  separate  from  them.  The  king  and  the 
queen  Band  consented,  and  caused  the  required  four 
treasure-trees  to  be  carried  to  Yaman  by  seventy 
faithful  afrits,  whom  Farrukhruz  accompanied. 


1 82  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

HOW   THE   HERO    PRETENDED    TO   VISIT     PARADISE,    AND     CAUSED 
ALL    HIS    ENEMIES    TO    PERISH. 

Now  the  courtiers  of  the  sultan  of  Yaman  had  been 
all  the  time  exulting  in  the  belief  that  Farrukhriiz 
would  not  return ;  but  the  king  was  confident  that 
he  would  soon  make  his  appearance.  One  month 
before  the  leave  had  expired  news  was  brought  that 
Farrukhriiz  was  come  back  with  the  treasure-trees  on 
four  elephants  and  himself  riding  on  a  fifth.  The 
king  at  once  marched  out  with  his  army  to  meet 
him,  and  when  they  were  in  sight  of  each  other 
they  alighted  and  embraced  with  the  greatest  mani- 
festations of  joy.^  They  rode  side  by  side  into  the 
city  amidst  the  acclamations  of  the  people,  and  in 
the  palace  a  throne  was  placed  for  Farrukhriiz,  on 
which  he  seated  himself  When  the  four  golden 
date-trees  were  set  around  the  sultan's  throne  and 
everything  was  arranged  with  the  utmost  splendour, 
the  envious  vazirs  and  secretaries  were  full  of  chagrin 
and  said  to  each  other :  "  This  man's  luck  is  most 
extraordinary,  for  he  succeeds  in  whatever  he  under- 
takes, and  he  has  so  eclipsed  us  that  the  king  cares 
little  for  any  person  besides  him." 

1  Thus  the  sultan  received  our  hero  on  a  footing  of  equality 
with  himself,  and  the  scene  recalls  the  meeting  of  the  two 
brothers,  King  Shahriyar  and  Shah  Zaman  in  the  opening  of 
the  Arabian  Niishts. 


AN  EXPEDITION  TO  PARADISE.  183 

The  golden  date-trees  being  placed  one  at  each 
corner  of  the  throne  which  Farrukhniz  had  first 
procured,  with  the  wonderful  cock  in  front  of  it,  and 
all  the  grandees  being  assembled,  the  king  said : 
"  What  else  besides  these  rare  objects  and  so  dear  a 
friend  can  contribute  to  augment  the  happiness  and 
glory  of  a  monarch?"  Quoth  the  envious  courtiers: 
"  ]\Iay  your  majesty  live  for  ever !  Indeed  there  is 
nothing  in  this  world  so  splendid  as  this  spectacle 
we  at  present  behold ;  and  to  make  your  felicity 
complete  it  would  only  be  necessary  to  convey  this 
news  to  the  eternal  world — to  inform  the  forefathers 
of  your  majesty  who  now  occupy  the  chief  places  in 
Paradise ;  and,  as  they  enjoy  the  closest  intimacy 
with  the  angels  of  mercy  and  their  prayers  meet  with 
acceptance,  it  would  be  well  to  request  a  prolongation 
of  your  life,  which  would  doubtless  be  granted."  The 
king  replied,  full  of  astonishment :  "  You  ask  indeed 
something  very  foolish  and  unattainable."  But  they 
said  :  "  IVIay  it  please  your  majesty,  all  things  in  this 
world  depend  upon  good  luck,  and  as  long  as  it 
serves  a  man  he  will  easily  succeed  in  anything  he 
may  undertake ;  and,  praise  be  to  the  Most  High, 
such  is  your  majesty's  case." 

As  opinions  expressed  by  diiferent  persons  find 
generally  an  approbative  response,  though  they  may 
be  absurd,  and  the  flames  into  which  they  fan  the 
imagination  cannot  be  extinguished  by  every  intellect, 
so  these  suggestions  made  an  impression  on  the  mind 


HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 


of  the  king,  who  thought  there  could  be  no  harm  in 
discussing  the  matter,  so  he  inquired :  "  Who  can 
undertake  such  a  business?"  To  this  the  envious 
vazirs  rephed  with  one  voice  :  "  Farrukhriiz  is  the 
happy  man  who  is  successful  in  everything!"  But 
the  king  said :  "  I  have  scarcely  recovered  from  the 
grief  I  suffered  on  account  of  his  absence  and  only 
begun  to  enjoy  the  happiness  of  his  presence ;  how, 
then,  could  I  again  separate  from  him?  You  must 
propose  some  one  else."  Farrukhriiz,  seeing  the  turn 
things  had  taken,  arose  and  thus  addressed  the  king  : 
"  As  long  as  your  majesty's  slave  is  alive,  he  is  always 
ready  to  obey  your  behests.  If  I  obtain  leave  for 
one  year  I  shall  accomplish  the  business."  As  no 
other  person  offered  his  services,  the  king  reluctantly 
consented  to  part  with  his  favourite.  Farrukhriiz 
suggested  that  all  the  letters  should  be  prepared,  and 
that  every  one  who  had  a  relative  or  friend  in  the 
other  world  might  send  him  a  message.  Accordingly 
the  king  dictated  to  one  of  his  secretaries  the  following 
epistle : 

"  In  consequence  of  the  intimation  of  the  Sovereign 
of  the  decrees  of  Fate,  of  whose  power  the  existence 
of  all  creatures  is  but  one  sign,  our  glorious  relatives 
and  ancestors  have  left  this  terrestrial  abode  for  the 
eternal  Paradise,  and  having  thus  been  delivered  of 
all  the  vicissitudes  of  Fortune,  they  have  left  me  to 
inherit  their  just  and  righteous  government,  so  that 
I  have,  by  the  boundless  favour  of  the  Giver  of  all 


AN  EXPEDITION  TO  PARADISE.  185 

gifts,  become  very  happy  and  have  no  wishes  un- 
fulfilled. I  have  therefore  sent  this  letter  by  my 
devoted  servant  Farrukhriiz  to  set  the  minds  of  my 
beloved  ancestors  at  rest  on  this  subject.  And  as 
I  am  aware  that  they  are  immersed  in  the  shoreless 
ocean  of  the  divine  mercy,  and  I  fear  lest  the  thread 
of  my  life  may  be  suddenly  snapped,  I  cannot  enjoy 
my  happiness  as  I  ought ;  and  since  those  denizens 
of  the  holy  regions  of  the  Kingdom  of  Pardon  are 
closely  connected  with  and  befriended  by  the  angels 
of  mercy  and  the  cherubim  of  the  courts  of  Unity, 
I  trust  they  will  be  able  to  obtain  the  prolongation 
of  the  terrestrial  existence  of  my  life.  I  do  not 
venture  to  draw  out  this  request  to  greater  length ; 
and,  making  my  obeisance,  I  crave  that  the  bearer 
of  this,  Farrukhriiz,  who  is  indispensable  to  my 
comfort,  be  not  detained  beyond  the  space  of  a 
few  days." 

The  vazirs  and  secretaries  followed  the  example  of 
their  sovereign  and  also  wrote  affectionate  letters  to 
their  beatified  relatives ;  and  when  all  the  letters  were 
written  the  king  sealed  them  and  gave  them  to  Far- 
rukhriiz. When  the  sultan  asked  Farrukhriiz  how  he 
meant  to  depart  for  the  next  world,  he  requested  a 
large  quantity  of  dry  wood  to  be  piled  up.  After 
more  than  a  thousand  ass-loads  of  fuel  had  been 
accumulated,  Farrukhriiz  kissed  the  sultan's  hand, 
bade  him  farewell,  and  desired  the  fire  to  be  kindled 
at  the  four  corners  of  the  pile ;   and  when   he  was. 


i86  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

enveloped  in  smoke  he  put  the  magic  ring  on  his 
finger  and  was  in  a  twinkhng  transported  by  afrits  to 
the  presence  of  the  king  of  the  fairies  and  the  queen 
Banii,  to  whom  he  related  his  adventures,  and  they 
highly  approved  of  his  stratagem. 

In  that  delightful  region  Farrukhruz  spent  a  whole 
year  joyfully  with  his  beloved  spouse  Banii,  and  when 
his  leave  of  absence  was  almost  expired  he  told  her 
that  this  was  the  last  service  he  should  perform  for  the 
sultan  of  Yaman,  after  which  he  should  be  entirely 
devoted  to  her.  The  king  of  the  fairies  said  they 
wished  only  to  please  him,  and  he  might  act  as  he 
thought  fit.  So  Farrukhruz  wrote  various  replies  on 
the  part  of  the  spirits  in  Paradise  for  the  sultan  of 
Yaman  and  his  vazirs  and  secretaries,  after  which  the 
afrits  conveyed  him  to  Yaman. 

The  sultan  and  all  the  people  were  sorely  grieved  at 
the  departure  of  Farrukhruz  on  his  last  enterprise,  but 
not  so  the  vazirs,  who  rejoiced  and  said  one  to  another: 
"  It  is  wonderful  that  a  young  man  who  was  so  very 
intelligent  should  have  thus  voluntarily  destroyed  him- 
self! He  cannot  possil)ly  return."  And  even  the  king 
almost  despaired  of  again  seeing  his  favourite ;  never- 
theless on  the  day  appointed  for  his  return  he  held  a 
grand  levee,  at  which  all  the  grandees  were  ordered  to 
be  present.  The  vazirs  of  course  obeyed  the  summons, 
whispering  to  each  other :  "  Our  sultan  is  indeed  a 
fool  !  A  whole  year  has  elapsed  since  he  saw  a  man 
burnt  to  ashes  and  now  he  expects  him  to  return." 


AN  EXPEDITION  TO  PARADISE.  187 

Their  exultation  was,  however,  soon  ended  on  hearing 
the  approach  of  Farrukhriiz  announced  among  tumul- 
tuous acclamations  of  joy ;  and  when  he  actually 
appeared  the  king  was  almost  frantic  with  ecstasy, 
kissed  him  fervently,  and  exclaimed  :  "  Now  am  I  the 
happiest  of  men  !  "  Then  his  majesty  made  inquiries 
regarding  his  blessed  ancestors,  and  Farrukhriiz  took 
out  the  letters,  saying  :  "  Most  exalted  sovereign,  no 
man  is  able  to  describe  the  multifarious  pleasures  of 
Paradise — the  sweetness  of  the  climate,  the  beauty  of 
the  flowers,  the  graces  of  the  hiiris,  the  splendid  palaces 
of  that  beatified  abode ;  and  your  majesty  will  not 
have  any  idea  of  them  until  you  participate  yourself  in 
those  delights.  Indeed  I  was  very  reluctant  to  leave 
that  blessed  region.  Your  majesty's  exalted  father  is 
in  paradise,  and  your  mother  is  his  partner  ;i   your 

1  Notwithstanding  all  that  has  been  written  by  European 
orientalists  during  the  last  half-century  regarding  the  Muham- 
medan  religion,  the  notion  is  still  widely  prevalent  that,  according 
to  the  Kuranic  teachings,  women  have  not  souls.  The  idea  is 
quite  preposterous,  and  must  have  been  set  afloat  by  bigoted 
Christian  "champions"  who  wished  to  throw  discredit  on  the 
doctrines  of  Islam.  In  the  Kuran  future  rewards  are  promised 
and  future  punishments  arc  threatened  to  men  and  women  alike. 
And  in  Muslim  stories,  which  may  be  considered  as  faithfully 
reflecting  the  general  religious  belief,  women  are  often  spoken 
of  as  having  gone  to  Paradise  at  their  death,  while  it  is  not  un- 
usual for  the  transcriber  of  a  book  to  insert  at  the  end  a  prayer 
for  the  souls  of  his  father  and  mother.  Moreover,  among  the 
traditions  preserved  of  Muhammed  is  the  following,  which  shows 
that  the  Founder  of  Islam  could  occasionally  indulge  in  a  little 


HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 


Other  relatives  enjoy  appropriate  dignities  and  are 
waited  upon  by  many  hiiri's  and  slaves."  Farrukhriiz 
having  concluded,  the  sultan  thanked  him,  and  began 
to  read  the  letter  from  Paradise,  which  contained  many 
compliments,  and  stated  that  his  ancestors  had  pre- 
pared for  his  acceptance  many  costly  presents  which 
they  would  entrust  to  such  of  his  vazirs,  secretaries, 
and  other  officials  whose  names  were  written  in  a  list 
given  to  Farrukhruz,  and  for  this  purpose  they  were  to 
come  at  once  to  Paradise — their  own  relatives  moreover 
being  extremely  desirous  of  seeing  them  ;  therefore 
they  were  in  no  way  to  elude  this  command,  on  pain 
of  incurring  the  displeasure  of  the  Most  High,  but,  as 
they  were  necessary  to  carry  on  the  government  of 
Yaman,  they  should  be  sent  back  to  the  earth  at  the 
end  of  forty  days.- 

This  message  having  been  communicated  to  the 
vazirs  and  other  officials,  the  king  commanded  them 
to  be  ready  next  morning  to  set  out  for  Paradise,  and 
they  at  once  perceived  that  their  lives  were  in  danger. 
The  sultan,  reading  their  thoughts  in  their  terrified 
countenances,  exclaimed  :  "O  ye  besotted  fools  !  All 
intelligent  and  pious  men  labour  during  their  whole 

harmless  pleasantry  :  An  old  woman  came  to  him  one  day,  and 
asked  what  should  l)c  tlie  lot  of  such  as  she  in  Paradise.  The 
Prophet  replied,  that  no  old  women  would  l)e  there,  upon  which 
the  poor  crone  set  up  a  loud  wail,  hut  Muhammed  presently 
soothed  her  by  smilingly  explaining  that  all  the  old  women  would 
become  young  when  they  entered  Paradise. 
2  Yet  again  "  forty  days  "  ! 


CAUGHT  IN  THEIR    OWN  SNARE.  189 

lives  to  attain  Paradise,  and  you  ought  to  be  delighted 
with  the  message  you  have  just  received.  Get  quickly 
ready  to  depart !  "  Accordingly  they  were  obliged  to 
feign  acquiescence  and  prepare  for  death.  Then  said 
Farrukhriiz  to  the  sultan:  "Though  there  are  many 
roads,  none  is  shorter  than  that  by  which  your  majesty's 
humble  servant  departed."  So  the  sultan  caused  a 
great  quantity  of  wood  to  be  piled  up  and  about  fifty 
of  those  wicked  and  envious  men  to  be  placed  upon 
it.  When  the  fire  was  kindled  and  began  to  distress 
them,  they  pleaded  for  mercy,  and  said  :  "  A\'e  acknow- 
ledge our  fault  and  repent  of  it.  Hereafter  we  shall 
never  emy  or  slander  any  one."  But  their  entreaties 
were  not  heeded  and  they  became  a  prey  to  the  flames. 
After  this  the  sultan  counted  the  days,  and  when 
the  fortieth  arrived  he  said  to  Farrukhriiz :  "  To-day 
our  friends  should  return,  and  I  am  expecting  them." 
But  when  it  was  evening  and  there  was  no  sign  of  them, 
the  sultan  said  to  his  favourite  :  "  Wise  men  have  said 
that  the  road  to  the  next  world  is  full  of  dangers,  and 
I  begin  to  fear  that  some  accident  has  befallen  our 
friends."  Hereupon  Farrukhriiz  exclaimed  :  "  May  it 
please  your  majesty,  that  is  a  road  which  not  every- 
body can  travel  upon,"  and  proceeded  to  relate  the 
truth  of  the  whole  affair,  adding  :  "  The  greatest  service 
I  have  rendered  your  majesty  was  to  purge  the  kingdom 
of  those  villains,  because  they  would,  by  their  con- 
spiracies and  treacherous  machinations,  at  last  have 
succeeded  in  ruining  the  country."     ^^'hen  the  sultan 


190  HISTORY  OF  FARRUKHRUZ. 

became  fully  aware  of  the  wickedness  of  the  vazi'rs  he 
thanked  Farrukhriiz  and  said  :  "  So  long  as  I  have  you 
what  more  vazirs  do  I  need?  And  as  I  possess  no 
offspring  I  make  you  my  successor."  Farrukhriiz 
kissed  the  ground  of  obedience  and  replied  :  "  May 
power  and  dominion  ever  belong  to  your  majesty !  I 
have  sojourned  here  to  serve  you  and  to  remove  those 
wretches.  But  as  I  am  connected  with  the  fairies, 
I  have  no  longer  the  option  to  remain  here.  I  shall 
however  bring  my  parents  and  relatives,  and  beg  your 
majesty  to  receive  them  under  the  shadow  of  your 
protection."  The  sultan  agreed  to  this  proposal  and 
by  order  of  Farrukhriiz  the  afrits  brought  his  whole 
family  to  Yaman,  and  they  were  most  happy  to  meet 
him.  The  sultan  made  Khoja  Marjan,  the  father 
of  Farrukhriiz,  his  vazir,  and  appointed  his  other 
relatives  to  various  stations. 

When  the  leave  of  Farrukhriiz  had  expired  he  bade 
adieu  to  the  sultan  and  his  relatives,  and  departing 
to  the  land  of  the  fairies  he  joined  his  spouse  Queen 
Banii,  and  whilst  he  lived  never  omitted  to  visit  his 
friends  at  Yaman  once  every  six  months.  At  last, 
however,  all  responded  to  the  unavoidable  behest 
of  the  sovereign  of  destiny,  and,  being  divested  of  the 
borrowed  garments  of  this  perishable  life,  departed  to 
the  regions  of  eternity. 


THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR 
MINISTERS. 


THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR 
MINISTERS. 

Though  the  commands  of  royalty  pervade 

The  world,  yet  sovereigns  ever  should  remember, 

The  light  of  justice  must  direct  their  path. 

Hindii  Drama. 

THERE  was  a  city  called  Alakapuri,  famous  for 
all  the  riches  that  sea  and  land  can  yield,  and 
inhabited  by  people  speaking  different  languages.  In 
that  city  reigned  a  king  named  Alakesa,^  who  was 
a  storehouse  of  all  excellent  qualities.  He  was  so  just 
a  king  that  during  his  reign  the  cow  and  the  tiger 
amicably  quenched  their  thirst  side  by  side  in  the 
same  pond,  and  the  kite  and  the  parrot  laid  their 
eggs  in  the  same  nest,  as  though  they  were  "  birds 
of  a  feather."-     The  women  never  deviated  from  the 

1  The  name  of  the  king  is  derived  from  Alakapuri,  the  city  of 
Kavera,  the  god  of  riches,  and  Alakesa  is  therefore  an  appella- 
tion signifying  a  wealthy  king. 

2  The  Pandit  remarks  that  this  kind  of  statement  often  occurs 
in  stories  in  proof  of  the  just  reign  of  a  monarch.  The  Hindu 
idea  is,  that  so  long  as  justice  and  equity  characterised  a  king's 
rule,   even  beasts   naturally  inimical  were  disposed   to  live  in 

O 


194     THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

path  of  virtue,  and  regarded  their  husbands  as  gods.^ 
Timely  rain  refreshed  the  soil,  and  all  Alakesa's 
subjects  lived  in  plenty  and  happiness.  In  short, 
Alakesa  was  the  body  and  his  subjects  the  soul  of 
that  body,  for  he  was  upright  in  all  things. 

Story  of  the  Lost  Camel. 

Now  there  was  in  Alakapuri  a  rich  merchant  who  lost 
a  camel  one  day.  He  searched  for  it  without  success 
in  all  directions,  and  at  last  reached  a  road  which  he 
was  informed  led  to  another  city,  called  Mathurapuri, 
the  king  of  which  was  named  Mathuresa.  He  had 
under  him  four  excellent  ministers,  whose  names 
were  Bodhaditya,  Bodhachandra,  Bodhavyapaka,  and 
Bodhavibhishana.  These  four  ministers  being,  for 
some  reason,  displeased  with  the  king  quitted  his 
dominions,  and  set  out  for  another  country.  As  they 
journeyed  along  they  observed  the  track  of  a  camel, 
and  each  made  a  remark  on  the  peculiar  condition 
of  the  animal,  judging  from  its  footsteps  and  other 

friendship.  When  timely  rain  fails  or  famine  stalks  through  the 
land,  turning  his  eyes  from  the  natural  causes,  the  orthodox 
Hindu  will  say  that  such  a  king  is  now  reigning  over  them 
unjustly,  and  hence  the  calamity. 

1  According  to  a  Persian  writer,  "  she  is  a  perfect  woman  who 
considers  her  husband  as  the  most  accomplished  of  men,  and 
thinks  all  the  sons  of  Adam  beside  quite  unworthy  of  a  transient 
glance  from  the  corner  of  her  half-shut  eyes."  And  in  the 
MaJiahhdrata  we  are  told  that  "she  is  a  good  wife  whose 
husl)an(l  is  as  her  very  life." 


STORY  OF   THE  LOST  CAMEL.  195 

indications  on  the  road.^  Presently  they  met  the 
merchant  who  was  searching  for  his  camel,  and, 
entering  into  conversation  with  him,  one  of  the 
travellers  inquired  if  the  animal  was  not  lame  in 
one  of  the  legs ;  another  asked  if  it  was  not  blind 
in  the  right  eye ;  the  third  asked  if  its  tail  was  not 
unusually  short ;  and  the  fourth  inquired  if  it  was 
not  suffering  from  colic.  They  were  all  answered  in 
the  affirmative  by  the  merchant,  who  was  convinced 
that  they  must  have  met  the  animal,  and  eagerly 
demanded  where  they  had  seen  it.  They  replied  that 
they  had  seen  traces  of  the  camel,  but  not  the  camel 
itself,  which  being  inconsistent  with  the  minute  descrip- 
tion they  had  given  of  it,  the  merchant  accused  them 
of  having  stolen  the  beast,  and  immediately  applied  to 
King  Alakesa  for  redress.  On  hearing  the  merchant's 
story,  the  king  was  equally  impressed  with  the  belief 
that  the  travellers  must  know  what  had  become  of  the 
camel,  and  sending  for  them  threatened  them  with  his 
displeasure  if  they  did  not  confess  the  truth.  How 
could  they  know,  he  demanded,  that  the  camel  was 

1  "  Distinguishing  the  peculiarities  of  an  animal  by  its  foot- 
steps, etc.,"  says  the  Pandit,  "is  often  met  with  in  Indian 
stories.  Precisely  the  reverse  of  this  is  the  tale  of  the  four  blind 
men  who  disputed  about  the  form  of  an  elephant.  One  of  them 
had  felt  only  the  elephant's  ear,  and  said  it  was  like  a  winnow  ; 
another  examined  the  breast  and  a  foreleg,  and  said  it  was  like  a 
thick  stump  of  wood  ;  the  third  felt  the  trunk  and  said  it  was  like 
a  heavy  crook  ;  while  the  fourth,  having  touched  only  the  tail, 
declared  it  was  like  a  sweeping  rake." 


196     THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

lame  or  blind,  or  whether  the  tail  was  long  or  short,  or 
that  it  was  suffering  from  any  malady,  unless  they  had 
it  in  their  possession  ?  In  reply,  they  each  explained 
the  reasons  which  had  induced  them  to  express  their 
belief  in  these  particulars.  The  first  traveller  said  :  "I 
noticed  in  the  footmarks  of  the  animal  that  one  was 
deficient,  and  I  concluded  accordingly  that  it  was  lame 
in  one  of  its  legs."  The  second  said:  "I  noticed  that 
the  leaves  of  the  trees  on  the  left  side  of  the  road  had 
been  snapped  or  torn  off,  whilst  those  on  the  right 
side  were  untouched,  whence  I  concluded  that  the 
animal  was  blind  of  his  right  eye. "  The  third  said  : 
"I  saw  some  drops  of  blood  on  the  road,  which  I 
conjectured  had  flowed  from  the  bites  of  gnats  or 
flies,  and  I  thence  concluded  that  the  camel's  tail  was 
shorter  than  usual,  in  consequence  of  which  he  could 
not  brush  the  insects  away."  The  fourth  said:  "I 
observed  that  while  the  forefeet  of  the  animal  were 
planted  firmly  on  the  ground  the  hind  ones  appeared 
to  have  scarcely  touched  it,  whence  I  guessed  that 
they  were  contracted  by  pain  in  the  belly  of  the 
animal. "  When  the  king  heard  their  explanations  he 
was  much  struck  by  the  sagacity  of  the  travellers,  and, 
giving  500  pagodas^  to  the  merchant  who  had  lost 
the  camel,  he  made  the  four  young  men  his  principal 
ministers,  and  bestowed  on  each  of  them  several 
villages  as  free  gifts. 

1  A  pagoda  is  now  of  the  value  ofaliuiU  7s.  6il. 


THE    TEMPLE   OF  KALI.  197 

From  that  time  these  four  young  men  became 
the  confidential  advisers  of  King  Alakesa  in  all 
important  affairs  of  state,  and,  as  night  is  the  house 
of  sins,  they  in  turn  kept  a  regular  watch  in  the 
city  of  Alakapuri,  each  patrolling  the  streets  during 
three  hours  of  the  night.  Thus  they  continued  to 
faithfully  serve  King  Alakesa,  till,  one  night,  the 
First  Minister,  when  his  watch  was  over,  pro- 
ceeded, as  usual,  to  see  whether  the  royal  bedchamber 
was  properly  guarded;  after  which  he  went  to  the 
temple  of  the  goddess  Kali,  where  he  heard  what 
seemed  to  him  the  voice  of  a  woman,  lamenting  and 
sobbing  in  great  distress.  Concealing  himself  behind 
the  Z'dd-tree  of  the  temple,  he  called  out:  "Who  are 
you,  poor  woman  ?  And  why  do  you  thus  weep  ? " 
At  once  the  cries  ceased,  and  a  voice  from  the  temple 
inquired:  "Who  art  thou  that  thus  questionest  me?" 
Then  the  minister  knew  that  it  was  Kali  herself  who 
wept;  so  he  threw  himself  on  the  ground,  and,  rising 
up,  exclaimed:  "O  my  mother! — Kali! — Sambhavi! 
— Mahamayi!^     Why  should  you  thus  bitterly  weep  ?" 

1  Sambhavi  and  Mahamayi  are  among  the  numerous  names 
of  Kali,  the  goddess  of  destruction,  called  also  Parvati  and 
Durga:  the  daughter  of  Himalaya,  sovereign  of  the  snowy 
mountains.  She  is  described  as  terrible  in  form  and  very 
irascible  in  temper.  In  her  amiable  form  she  is  called  Bhavani. 
To  address  a  deity  by  a  numljer  of  appellations,  as  above, 
is  considered  as  the  readiest  way  to  secure  favour. — Mr.  Natesa 
Sastri,  in  a  note  in  Lndian  Notes  a7id  Queries  for  Sept.  18S7,  p. 
215,  states  that  "the  goddess  Kali  is  much  worshipped  in  the 


igS     THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

Quoth  Kali:  "What  is  the  use  of  my  reveahng  it 
to  thee?  Canst  thou  render  any  assistance?"  The 
minister  said  that,  if  he  had  but  her  favour,  there 
was  nothing  he  could  not  do.  Then  the  goddess 
told  him  that  a  calamity  was  about  to  come  upon 
the  king,  and  fearing  that  such  a  good  monarch  was 
soon  to  disappear  from  the  world  she  wept.  The 
thought  of  such  a  misfortune  caused  the  minister  to 
tremble;  he  fell  down  before  the  goddess,  and  with 
tears  streaming  from  his  eyes  besought  her  to  save 
him.  Kali  was  much  gratified  to  observe  his  devotion 
to  his  master,  and  thus  addressed  him  : 

"  Know,  then,  that  your  king  will  be  in  danger  of 
three  calamities  to-morrow,  any  one  of  which  were 
sufficient  to  cause  his  death.  First  of  all,  early  in  the 
morning  there  will  come  to  the  palace  several  carts 
containing  newly-reaped  paddy  grains.  The  king  will 
be  delighted  at  this,  and  immediately  order  a  measure 
of  the  paddy  to  be  husked  and  cooked  for  his  morning 
meal.  Now,  the  field  in  which  that  paddy  grew  was 
the  abode  of  serpents,  two  of  which  were  fighting 
together  one  day,  when  they  emitted  poison,  which 
has  permeated  those  grains.  Therefore,  the  morning 
meal  of  your  king  will  contain  poison,  but   only  in 

Madras  Presidency,  and  especially  so  during  an  epidemic. 
During  an  outbreak  of  cholera  in  Madras  in  1884,  the  Kali 
image  in  the  Minakshi  temple,  near  the  Dvaja  Stambha,  was 
daily  propitiated  hy  a  thousand  pots  each  of  ghi  (clarified  butter) 
milk,  oil,  etc." 


KING  ALAKESA'S  LIFE  IN  DANGER.        199 

the  first  handful  will  it  take  effect,  and  he  will  die. 
Should  he  escape,  another  calamity  is  in  store  for 
him  at  noon.  The  king  of  Vijayanajara  ^  will  send 
to-morrow  some  baskets  of  sweetmeats.  In  the  first 
basket  he  has  concealed  arrows.  King  Alakesa, 
suspecting  no  treachery,  will  order  the  first  basket 
to  be  opened  in  his  presence,  and  will  meet  his  death 
by  that  device.  And,  even  should  he  escape  this 
second  calamity,  a  third  will  put  an  end  to  his  life 
to-morrow  night.  A  deadly  serpent  will  descend 
into  his  bedroom,  by  means  of  the  chain  of  his 
hanging  cot,  and  bite  him.  But,  should  he  be  saved 
from  this  last  misfortune,  Alakesa  will  live  long  and 
prosperously,  till  he  attains  the  age  of  a  hundred 
and  twenty  years." 

Thus  spake  Kali,  in  tones  of  sorrow,  for  she  feared 
that  the  king  should  lose  his  life  by  one  of  these  three 
calamities.  The  minister  prostrated  himself  on  the 
ground,  and  said  that  if  the  goddess  would  but  grant 
him  her  favour  he  was  confident  he  could  contrive 
to  avert  all  the  threatened  evils  from  the  king. 
Kali    smiled    and    disappeared;    and    the    minister, 

*  Vijanajara,  now  a  village  in  Hospet  taluk,  Bellary  district, 
Madras  Presidency.  The  proper  name  of  this  village  is  Hampi, 
but  Vijanajara  was  the  name  of  the  dynasty  and  the  kingdom 
which  had  its  capital  there,  and  was  the  last  great  Hindii  power 
in  the  South.  Founded  by  two  adventurers  in  the  middle  of  the 
14th  century,  it  lasted  for  two  centuries,  till  its  sun  went  down 
at  Talikot  in  1565  A.  D.  The  ruins  of  Hampi  cover  nine  square 
miles. — Sir  W.  \V.  Hunter's  Imperial  Gazetteer  of  India. 


200  _  THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

taking  her  kind  smile  as  a  token  of  her  favour, 
returned  home  and  slept  soundly. 

As  soon  as  morning  dawned,  the  First  Minister 
arose,  and,  having  made  the  customary  ablutions, 
proceeded  to  the  palace.  He  took  care  to  reveal 
to  no  one  the  important  secret  communicated  to 
him  by  the  goddess — not  even  to  his  three  colleagues. 
The  sun  was  not  yet  two  ghatikas^  above  the  horizon 
when  several  carts  containing  the  finest  paddy  grains, 
specially  selected  for  the  king's  use,  came  into  the 
courtyard  of  the  palace.  Alakesa  was  present,  and 
ordered  a  measure  of  it  to  be  at  once  husked  and 
cooked.  The  coming  in  of  the  carts  and  the  king's 
order  so  exactly  coincided  with  Kali's  words  that 
the  minister  began  to  fear  that  he  was  quite  unequal 
to  the  task  of  averting  the  fatality ;  yet  the  recollection 
of  the  smile  of  the  goddess  inspired  him  with  fresh 
resolution,  and  he  at  once  went  to  the  palace-kitchen 
and  requested  the  servants  to  inform  him  when  the 
king  was  about  to  go  to  dinner.  After  issuing  orders 
for  the  storing  of  the  grain,  King  Alakesa  retired 
to  perform  his  morning  ablutions  and  other  religious 
duties. 

Meanwhile  a  carriage  containing  the  pots  of  sweet- 
meats sent  by  the  king  of  Vijayanajara  drove  up  to 
the  palace,  and  the  emissary  who  accompanied  the 
present  told  the  royal  servants  that  his  master  had 
commanded   him   to  deliver   it   to   King  Alakesa  in 

1  A  i^/ia/ika  is  twenty-four  minutes. 


KING  ALAKESA'S  LIFE  IN  DANGER.        201 

person.  The  First  Minister  well  understood  the 
meaning  of  this,  and,  "promising  to  bring  the  king, 
went  into  the  palace,  caused  one  of  the  servants 
to  be  dressed  like  Alakesa,  and  conducted  him  to 
the  carriage.  The  officer  of  the  Vijayanajara  king 
placed  the  first  pot  before  the  supposed  Alakesa, 
who  at  once  opened  it,  when,  lo!  there  darted  forth 
several  arrows,  one  of  which  pierced  his  heart,  and 
he  fell  dead  on  the  spot.^  In  an  instant  the  emis- 
sary was  seized  and  bound,  and  the  officers  began 
to  lament  the  death  of  their  good  king.  But  the  fatal 
occurrence  spread  rapidly  through  the  palace,  and 
soon  the  real  Alakesa  made  his  appearance  on  the 
scene.  The  officers  now  beheld  one  Alakesa  dead 
and  fallen  to  the  ground,  pierced  by  the  arrow,  and 
another  standing  there  alive  and  well.  The  First 
Minister  then  related  how,  suspecting  treachery, 
he  brought  out  a  servant  of  the  palace  dressed  like 
the  king,  and  how  he  had  been  slain  in  place  of  his 
royal  master.  Alakesa  thanked  the  minister  for 
having  so  ingeniously  saved  his  life,  and  went  into 
the  palace.  Thus  was  one  of  the  three  calamities 
to  the  king  averted  by  the  faithful  Bodhaditya. 

\\'hen  it  was  the  hour  for  dinner,  the  king  and  his 

*  Apparently  the  arrows  were  attached  to  some  kind  of 
mechanism  which  should  discharge  them  on  the  opening  of  the 
pot.  "There  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun"!  Dynamite  is 
perhaps  a  discovery  of  our  own  times,  but  "infernal  machines,'" 
which  served  the  purpose  of  king-killers,  are  of  ancient  date. 


202     THE  KING  AND   HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

courtiers  all  sat  down,  with  the  exception  of  the 
First  Minister,  w^ho  remained  standing,  without 
having  taken  a  leaf  for  his  own  use.^  The  king, 
observing  this,  with  a  smile  pointed  out  a  leaf  to 
him,  but  Bodhaditya  would  not  sit :  he  wished  to 
be  near  the  king  and  to  abstain  from  eating  on  that 
occasion.  So  the  king  allowed  him  to  have  his  own 
way.  The  food  having  been  served  on  the  leaves, 
the  hands  of  all,  including  the  king,  were  mingling 
the  rice,  ghi,  and  dhal  for  the  first  course.  Near  the 
king  stood  his  faithful  minister  Bodhaditya,  and  when 
the  king  raised  the  first  handful  to  his  mouth,  "Stop, 
my  master,  "  cried  he ;  "I  have  long  hoped  for  this 
handful  as  a  present  to  me  from  your  royal  hands. 
I  pray  you  give  it  to  me,  and  feed  upon  the  rest  of 
the  rice  on  your  leaf.  "  This  was  uttered  more  in  a 
tone  of  command  than  of  request,  and  the  king  was 
highly  incensed  at  what  he  naturally  considered  as 
insolence  on  the  part  of  the  minister.  For  such  a 
request,  especially  when  made  to  a  king,  is  deemed 
nothing  less  than  an  insult,  while  to  refuse  it  is 
equally  offensive.  So,  whatever  thoughts  may  have 
passed  through  Alakesa's  mind,  recollecting  how  the 
minister  had  that  morning  saved  his  life,  he  gave  him 
the  handful  of  rice,  which  Bodhaditya  received  with 

1  Hindus,  at  their  meals,  squat  on  the  ground,  with  leaves 
in  place  of  earthenware  dishes,  on  which  their  food  is  served. 
The  leaves  of  the  palm  are  very  large,  and  each  may  be  cut 

into  a  number  of  "i)Iates." 


KING  ALAKESA'S  LIFE  IN  DANGER.        203 

delight,  feeling  grateful  for  the  favour  of  the  goddess 
in  being  the  means  of  averting  this  second  calamity. 
Far  different,  however,  were  the  sentiments  of  the 
king  and  the  assembled  compan}-.  One  and  all  de- 
clared Bodhaditya  to  be  an  insolent,  proud  fellow  ; 
but  the  king,  while  secretly  blaming  himself  for  having 
allowed  him  to  use  so  much  familiarity,  suppressed 
his  anger,  in  consideration  of  the  important  service 
the  minister  had  rendered  him  in  the  affair  of  the 
arrows. 

On  the  approach  of  night  the  heart  of  the  First 
Minister  throbbed  violently,  for  the  third  calamity 
predicted  by  the  goddess  was  yet  to  be  encountered. 
His  watch  being  ended,  before  retiring  to  rest  he 
went  to  examine  the  royal  bedroom,  where  he  saw^  the 
light  burning  brightly,  and  the  king  and  queen  asleep 
side  by  side  in  the  ornamented  swing-cot,  which  was 
suspended  from  the  roof  by  four  chains.  Presently 
he  perceived  with  horror  a  fierce  black  snake,  the 
smell  of  which  is  enough  to  kill  a  man,  slowly  gliding 
down  the  chain  near  the  head  of  the  queen.  The 
minister  noislessly  went  forward,  and,  with  a  single 
stroke  of  his  sharp  sword,  cut  the  venomous  brute  in 
two.  Bodhaditya,  to  avoid  disturbing  any  person  at 
such  an  hour  of  the  night,  threw  the  pieces  over  the 
canopy  of  the  bed,  rejoicing  at  having  thus  averted 
the  third  and  last  calamity.  But  a  fresh  horror  then 
met  his  eyes  :  a  drop  of  the  snake's  poison  had  fallen 
on  the  bosom  of  the  queen,  which  was  exposed  in  the 


204     THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

carelessness  of  slumber.  "Alas,  sacred  goddess!"  he 
muttered,  "  why  do  you  thus  raise  up  new  obstacles 
in  my  efforts  to  avert  the  evil  which  you  predicted  ? 
I  have  done  what  I  could  to  save  the  king,  and 
in  this  last  trial  I  have  killed  his  beloved  queen  ! 
How  can  I  remove  the  poison  from  her  bosom  ?  How 
can  I  profane  that  sacred  spot  with  my  hand  ?  But 
I  regard  her  even  as  my  own  mother ;  and  do  not 
children  draw  their  nourishment  from  the  breasts  of 
their  mothers  ? "  Having  thus  briefly  reflected,  he 
wiped  off  the  poison  from  the  queen's  bosom  with  the 
tip  of  his  little  finger,  and  in  case  the  contact  of 
the  venom  with  his  finger  should  endanger  his  own  life 
he  cut  the  tip  of  it  off  and  threw  it  on  the  canopy. 
Just  then  the  queen  awoke,  and  perceiving  a  man 
hastily  leaving  the  room  she  cried:  "Who  are  you?" 
The  minister  respectfully  answered  :  "  Most  venerable 
mother,  I  am  your  son  Bodhaditya, "  and  at  once 
retired.  Upon  this  the  queen  thought  within  herself: 
"Alas,  is  there  a  good  man  in  this  world?  Hitherto 
have  I  regarded  this  Bodhaditya  as  my  son ;  but  now 
he  has  basely  taken  the  opportunity  of  thus  disgracing 
me  when  my  lord  and  I  were  sound  asleep.  I  shall 
inform  the  king  of  this  affair,  and  have  that  wretch's 
head  struck  off  before  the  morning."  Accordingly 
she  gently  awakened  the  king,  and,  with  tears  trickling 
down  her  beauteous  face,  she  told  him  what  had 
occurred,  and  concluded  with  these  words :  "  Till 
now,  my  lord,   I  considered   that  I  was  wife  to  you 


KING  ALAKESA'S   WRATH.  205 

alone ;  but  this  night  your  First  Minister  has  made 
me  doubt  it,  since  to  my  question,  ' A\'ho  are  you?" 
he  answered,  without  any  shame,  '  I  am  Bodhaditya,' 
and  went  away."  On  hearing  of  this  violation  of  the 
sanctity  of  his  bedchamber,  Alakesa  was  greatly  en- 
raged, and  determined  to  put  to  death  such  an 
unprincipled  servant,  but  first  to  communicate  the 
affair  to  his  three  other  ministers. 

When  the  Second  Minister's  watch  was  over  he 
went  to  inspect  the  guard  at  the  royal  bedchamber, 
and  Alakesa  hearing  his  footstep  inquired  who  was 
there.  "Your  servant,  Bodhachandra,  most  royal 
lord,"  was  the  reply.  "Enter,  Bodhachandra,"  said 
the  king.  "  I  have  somewhat  to  communicate  to 
you."  Then  Alakesa,  almost  choking  with  rage,  told 
him  of  the  gross  offence  of  which  his  colleague  the 
First  Minister  had  been  guilty,  and  demanded  to 
know  whether  any  punishment  could  be  too  severe. 
Bodhachandra  humbled  himself  before  the  king,  and 
thus  replied  :  "  My  lord,  such  a  crime  merits  a  heavy 
requital.  Can  one  tie  up  fire  in  one's  cloth,^  and 
think  that,  as  it  is  but  a  small  spark,  it  will  do 
no  harm  ?  How,  then,  can  we  excuse  even  slight 
deviations  from  the  rules  of  propriety?  Therefore, 
if  Bodhaditya  be  really  guilty  he  must  be  signally 
punished.  But  permit  me  to  represent  to  your 
majesty   the   advisability   of  carefully   inquiring   into 

1  A  long  cloth,  which  is  often  the  only  covering  worn  liy  Hindus. 


2o6     THE   KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

this  matter  before  proceeding  to  judgment.  We 
ought  to  ascertain  what  reasons  he  had  for  such  a 
breach  of  the  zanana^  rules;  for  should  we,  carried 
away  by  anger,  act  rashly  in  this  affair,  we  may 
repent  when  repentance  is  of  no  avail.  As  an  ex- 
ample I  shall,  with  your  majesty's  permission,  relate 
a  story."  The  king  having  at  once  given  his  consent^ 
the  Second  Minister  began  to  relate  the 

Story  of  tJie  Himtcr  and  his  Faithful  Dog. 

There  dwelt  in  a  certain  forest  a  hunter  named 
Ugravira,  who  was  lord  of  the  woods,  and  as  such 
had  to  pay  a  fixed  sum  of  money  to  the  king  of  the 
country.  It  chanced  once  that  the  king  unexpectedly 
demanded  of  him  one  thousand  five  hundred  pons.'- 
The  hunter  sold  all  his  property  and  realised  only  a 
thousand  pons,  and  was  perplexed  how  to  procure 
the  rest  of  the  required  amount.  At  length  he  be- 
thought him  of  his  dog,  which  was  of  the  best  kind, 
and  was  beloved  by  him  more  than  aught  else  in 
the  whole  world.  He  took  his  dog  to  an  adjacent 
town,  where  he  pledged  him  to  a  merchant  named 
Kubera  for  five  hundred  pons,  at  the  same  time 
giving  the  merchant  his  bond  for  the  loan.     Before 

'  Tlic  women's  apartments ;  called  by  Muslims  generally 
"  tlic  haram." 

2  A  sum  of  money  varying,  says  the  Pandit,  in  different 
localities  in  the  south  of  India.  In  old  Chola  grants  "two 
pons"  occurs. 


STORY  OF  THE  HUNTER  AND  HIS  DOG.     207 

going  away,  the  hunter,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  thus 
addressed  the  intelHgent  animal:  "Mrigasinha^ — -O 
my  faithful  friend  !  do  not  leave  thy  new  master  until 
I  have  paid  him  back  the  money  I  have  borrowed  of 
him.  Obey  and  serve  him,  even  as  thou  hast  ever 
obeyed  and  served  me." 

Some  time  after  this,  the  merchant  Kubera  had  to 
leave  home  and  proceed  with  his  goods  to  foreign 
countries ;  so  he  called  the  hunter's  dog  to  his  side, 
and  bade  him  watch  at  his  doors  and  prevent  the 
intrusion  of  robbers  and  other  evil  disposed  persons. 
The  dog  indicated,  both  by  his  eyes  and  his  tail,  that 
he  perfectly  understood  his  instructions.  Then  the 
merchant,  having  enjoined  his  wife  to  feed  the  dog 
three  times  every  day  with  rice  and  milk,  set  out  on 
his  travels.  The  dog  kept  his  watch  outside  of  the 
house,  and  for  a  few  days  the  merchant's  wife  fed  him 
regularly  three  times  a  day.  But  this  kind  treatment 
was  not  to  continue.  She  had  for  her  paramour  a 
wicked  youth  of  the  Setti  caste,-  who,  soon  after  the 
departure  of  Kubera,  became  a  constant  visitor  at  the 
merchant's  house.  The  faithful  dog  instinctively  sur- 
mised that  his  new  master  would  not  approve  of  such 
conduct ;    so  one  night  when  the  youth  was  leaving 

1  i.e.  "  Lion  among  beasts." 

2  Setti,  or  Sethi,  is  a  term  applied  respectfully  to  many  of  the 
races  engaged  in  trade  or  financial  transactions  ;  to  the  Zoroa- 
strian  Parsi,  the  Muhammedan  Bora,  and  to  Hindus  in  the  north 
and  south  of  the  Madras  Presidency,  occupied  as  bankers, 
merchants  and  shopkeepers. 


2o8     THE  KING  AND   HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

the  house  Mrigasinha  sprang  on  him  Hke  an  enraged 
Hon,  and,  seizing  him  by  the  throat,  sent  that 
evil-doer  to  the  other  world.  The  merchant's  wife, 
hearing  the  scuffle,  ran  to  the  spot  to  save  her  lover, 
but  found  him  dead.  Though  extremely  grieved  at 
the  loss  of  her  paramour,  she  had  the  presence  of 
mind  to  immediately  carry  the  body  to  the  garden  at 
the  back  of  the  house,  where  she  concealed  it  in  a 
great  pit,  and  covered  it  with  earth  and  leaves,  vainly 
thinking  that  she  had  thus  concealed  her  own  shame. 
This  was  not  done,  however,  without  being  observed 
by  the  watchful  dog ;  and  henceforth  the  merchant's 
wife  hated  him  with  a  deadly  hatred.  She  no  longer 
gave  him  food,  and  the  poor  creature  was  fain  to  eat 
such  grains  of  rice  as  he  found  adhering  to  the  leaves 
thrown  out  of  the  house  after  meals,  still  keeping 
guard  at  the  door. 

After  an  absence  of  two  months  the  merchant 
returned,  and  the  dog,  the  moment  he  saw  him,  ran 
up  to  him  and  rolled  himself  on  the  ground  at  his 
feet ;  then  seizing  the  merchant's  cloth  he  dragged 
him  to  the  very  spot  in  the  garden  where  the  youth's 
body  was  hidden,  and  began  to  scratch  the  ground, 
at  the  same  time  looking  into  the  merchant's  face  and 
howling  dismally,  from  which  Kub^ra  concluded  that 
the  dog  wished  him  to  examine  the  place.  Accord- 
ingly he  dug  up  the  spot  and  discovered  the  body  of 
the  youth,  whom,  indeed,  he  had  suspected  of  being 
his  wife's  paramour.      In  a  great  fury  he  rushed  into 


STOKY  OF  THE  HUNTER  AND  HIS  DOG.     209 

the  house  and  commanded  his  wife,  on  pain  of 
instant  death,  to  relate  the  particulars  of  this  affair 
without  concealing  anything.  The  wretched  woman, 
seeing  that  her  sin  was  discovered,  confessed  all, 
upon  which  her  husband  exclaimed :  "  Disgrace  of 
womankind  !  you  have  not  a  fraction  of  the  virtue 
possessed  by  this  faithful  brute,  which  you  have,  out 
of  revenge,  allowed  to  starve.  But  why  should  I 
waste  words  on  thee  ?  Depart,  and  let  me  see  your 
face  no  more  ! "  So  saying,  he  thrust  her  out  of  the 
house.  Then  the  merchant  fed  the  dog  with  milk, 
rice,  and  sugar,  after  which  he  said  to  that  lion  of 
beasts  :  "Thou  trusty  friend  !  language  fails  to  express 
my  gratitude  to  thee.  The  five  hundred  pons  which 
I  lent  thy  old  master  the  hunter  are  as  nothing  com- 
pared with  thy  services  to  me,  by  which  I  consider 
the  debt  as  more  than  paid.  What  must  be  the 
feelings  of  the  hunter  without  thy  companionship ! 
I  now  give  thee  leave  to  return  to  him."  The  mer- 
chant took  the  hunter's  bond,  and  tearing  it  slightly 
at  the  top  as  a  token  that  it  was  cancelled,  he  placed 
it  in  the  dog's  mouth,  and  sending  him  back  to  his 
former  master,  the  dog  set  off  to  the  forest. 

Now  by  this  time  the  hunter  had  contrived  to  save 
up  the  five  hundred  pons,  and  with  the  money  and 
interest  due  thereon  he  was  going  to  the  merchant  to 
redeem  his  bond  and  reclaim  the  dog.  To  his  great 
surprise,  he  met  Mrigasinha  on  the  way,  and  as  soon 
as  the  dog  perceived  him  he  ran  up  to  him  to  receive 

p 


2IO      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

his  caresses.  But  the  hunter  immediately  concluded 
that  the  poor  brute,  in  his  eagerness  to  rejoin  him, 
had  run  away  from  the  merchant,  and  determined  to 
put  him  to  death.  Accordingly  he  plucked  a  creeper, 
and  fastening  it  round  the  dog's  neck  tied  it  to  a 
branch  of  a  tree,  and  the  faithful  creature,  who  was 
expecting  nothing  but  kindness  from  his  old  master, 
was  by  him  most  cruelly  strangled.  The  hunter  then 
continued  his  journey,  and  on  reaching  the  mer- 
chant's house  he  laid  down  the  money  before  him. 
"My  dear  friend,"  said  Kubera,  "the  important 
service  your  dog  rendered  me,  in  killing  my  wife's 
paramour,  has  amply  repaid  your  debt,  so  I  gave  him 
permission  to  return  to  you,  with  your  bond  in  his 
mouth.  Did  you  not  meet  him  on  your  way  ?  But 
why  do  you  look  so  horrified  ?  What  have  you  done 
to  the  dog?"  The  hunter,  to  whom  everything  was 
now  only  too  clear,  threw  himself  on  the  ground,  like 
a  huge  tree  cut  at  the  roots,  and,  after  telling  Kubera 
how  he  had  inconsiderately  slain  the  faithful  dog, 
stabbed  himself  with  his  dagger.  The  merchant, 
grieved  at  the  death  of  both  the  dog  and  the  hunter, 
which  would  not  have  occurred  had  he  waited  until 
the  latter  came  to  redeem  his  bond,  snatched  the 
weapon  out  of  the  hunter's  breast  and  also  stabbed 
himself.  The  news  of  this  tragedy  soon  reached  the 
forest,  and  the  wife  of  the  hunter,  not  wishing  to 
survive  her  lord,  threw  herself  into  a  well  and  was 
drowned.      Lastly,   even   the   wife   of  the   merchant. 


STORY  OF   THE  FAITHFUL   MUNGUS. 


finding  that  so  many  fatalities  were  due  to  her  own 
misconduct,  and  that  she  was  despised  by  the  very 
children  in  the  streets,  put  an  end  to  her  wretched  life. 

"Thus,"  added  the  Second  Minister,  "five  lives 
were  lost  in  consequence  of  the  hunter's  rashness. 
Therefore  I  would  respectfully  beseech  your  majesty 
to  investigate  the  case  of  Bodhaditya,  and  to  refrain 
from  acting  merely  under  the  influence  of  anger." 
Having  thus  spoken,  Bodhachandra  obtained  leave  to 
retire  to  his  own  house. 

At  the  end  of  the  third  watch  of  the  night,  Bodha- 
vyapaka,  the  Third  ^Minister  of  King  Alakesa,  went 
to  see  whether  the  royal  bedchamber  was  properly 
guarded,  and  the  king,  summoning  him  into  his 
presence,  told  him  of  the  First  Minister's  crime,  upon 
which  Bodhavyapaka,  after  making  due  obeisance, 
thus  spake  :  "  Most  noble  king,  such  a  grave  crime 
should  be  severely  punished,  but  it  behoves  us  not  to 
act  before  having  ascertained  that  he  is  guilty  beyond 
doubt ;  for  evil  are  the  consequences  of  precipitation, 
in  proof  which  I  know  a  story,  which  I  will  relate, 
with  your  majesty's  leave  : 

Story  of  the  BrdJunan's  Wife  and  the  Mungus. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  which  also  flows  by 
the  most  holy  city  of  Benares,  there  is  a  town  named 
^Nlithila,   where   dwelt   a  very   poor   Brahman    called 


212      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

Vidyadhara.  He  had  no  children,  and  to  compensate 
for  this  want,  he  and  his  wife  tenderly  nourished  in 
their  house  a  mungiis.^  It  was  their  all  in  all — their 
younger  son,  their  elder  daughter — their  elder  son, 
their  younger  daughter,  so  fondly  did  they  regard  that 
little  creature.  The  deity  Visvesvara-  and  his  spouse 
Visalakshi  observed  this,  and  had  pity  for  the  un- 
happy pair ;  so  by  their  divine  power  they  blessed 
them  with  a  son.'^  This  most  welcome  addition 
to  their  family  did  not  alienate  the  affections  of  the 

1  A  species  of  weasel,  commonly,  but  incorrectly,  written 
"mongoose,"  as  though  the  animal  was  of  the  goose  kind.  The 
mungiis  is  very  expert  in  killing  snakes. 

2  Visvesvara  :  "  Lord  of  all,"  a  name  of  Siva,  the  third  deit)- 
of  the  Hindu  triad. 

3  The  want  of  children  is  doubtless  felt  more  or  less  keenly  by 
all  the  races  of  mankind,  but  the  Hindu  is  taught  to  believe  that 
he  cannot  attain  ultimate  salvation  without  leaving  a  son  behind 
him.  The  Chinese  who  hold  to  their  old  religion  have  also  a 
great  horror  of  dying  and  leaving  no  male  offspring  to  sacrifice 
to  their  manes,  and  to  avoid  such  a  calamity  they  adopt  children 
when  they  have  none  of  their  own.  Among  most  Asiatic  peoples, 
indeed,  a  childless  wife  is  generally  but  most  unjustly  despised, 
hence  the  thousand  and  one  nostrums  in  which  Hindu  women 
vainly  put  faith  in  expectation  of  having  their  sterility  removed. 
We  have  four  notable  instances  in  the  Bible  of  women  bearing 
famous  sons  after  having  been  long  sterile  :  Sarah,  mother  of 
Isaac,  the  Hebrew  patriarch  ;  Rachel,  mother  of  Joseph,  viceroy 
of  Egypt ;  the  wife  of  Manoah,  mother  of  Samson,  the  Hercules 
of  the  Hebrews;  and  Elizabeth,  mother  of  John  the  Baptist. — 
After  all,  sterile  wives  may  console  themselves  with  the  reflection 
that  children  arc  not  always  an  unalloyed  blessing  ! 


STORY  OF   THE  FAITHFUL   MUNGUS.        213 

Brahman  and  his  wife  from  the  mungus ;  on  the 
contrary,  their  attachment  to  it  increased,  for  they 
beheved  that  it  was  because  of  their  having  adopted 
the  pet  that  a  son  had  been  born  to  them.  So  the 
child  and  the  mungus  were  brought  up  together,  as 
twin  brothers,  in  the  same  cradle. 

It  happened  one  day,  when  the  Brahman  had  gone 
out  to  beg  alms  of  the  pious  and  charitable,  that  his 
wife  went  into  the  garden  to  cull  some  pot-herbs, 
leaving  the  child  asleep  in  his  cradle  and  by  his  side 
the  mungus  kept  guard.  An  old  snake,  which  was 
living  in  the  well  in  the  garden,  crept  into  the  house 
and  under  the  cradle,  and  was  beginning  to  climb  into 
it  to  bite  the  child  when  the  mungus  fiercely  attacked 
it  and  tore  it  into  several  pieces,  thus  saving  the  life 
of  the  Brahman's  little  son,  and  the  venomous  snake, 
that  came  to  slay,  itself  lay  dead  beneath  the  cradle. 
Pleased  at  having  performed  such  an  exploit,  the 
mungus  ran  into  the  garden  to  show  the  Brahman's 
wife  its  blood-smeared  mouth,  but  she  rashly  mistook 
the  deliverer  of  her  child  for  his  destroyer,  and  with 
one  stroke  of  the  knife  in  her  hand,  with  which  she 
was  cutting  herbs,  she  killed  the  faithful  creature,  and 
then  hastened  into  the  house  to  see  her  dead  son. 
But  there  she  found  the  child  in  his  cradle  alive  and 
well,  only  crying  at  the  absence  of  his  little  com- 
panion the  mungus,  and  under  the  cradle  lay  the 
great  serpent  cut  in  pieces.  The  real  state  of  affairs 
was  now  evident,  and  the  Brahman  presently  returning 


214      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

home,  his  wife  told  him  of  her  rash  act  and  then 
put  an  end  to  her  hfe.  The  Brahman,  in  his  turn, 
disconsolate  at  the  death  of  the  mungus  and  his  wife, 
slew  his  child  and  then  killed  himself. 

"And  thus,"  added  the  Third  Minister,  "by 
one  rash  act  four  creatures  perished,  so  true  is  it  that 
precipitation  results  in  a  series  of  calamities.  Do  not, 
then,  condemn  Bodhaditya  before  his  guilt  is  clearly 
proved."  Alakesa  having  then  given  Bodhavyapaka 
the  signal  to  retire,  he  quitted  the  presence  and  went 
home. 

When  the  watch  of  the  Fourth  Minister,  Bodha- 
vibhishana,  was  terminated,  he  visited  the  private 
apartments  of  the  king  (who  had  been  meanwhile 
pondering  the  stories  he  had  heard),  and  was  called 
into  the  sleeping  chamber  by  Alakesa,  and  informed 
of  his  colleague's  unpardonable  offence.  The  Minister, 
after  due  prostration,  thus  addressed  his  royal  master  : 
"  Great  King,  I  can  scarcely  bring  myself  to  believe 
that  Bodhaditya  could  ever  be  guilty  of  such  a  crime, 
and  I  would  respectfully  remind  your  majesty  that  it 
would  not  be  consistent  with  your  world-wide  reputa- 
tion for  wisdom  and  justice  were  you  to  pronounce 
judgment  in  this  case  without  having  inquired  into  all 
the  circumstances.  Evil  and  injustice  result  from  hasty 
decisions  and  actions,  of  which  a  striking  illustration 
is  furnished  in  the 


STOJ^Y  OF  THE  SETT  I  <^  THE  BLIND  MAN.   215 

Story  of  the  Faithless  Wife  mid  the  Ungrateful 
Blind  Man. 

In  the  town  of  Mithila  there  Hved  a  young  Brahman 
who,  having  a  quarrel  with  his  father-in-law,  set  out 
on  a  pilgrimage  to  Banares.  Going  through  a  forest 
he  met  a  blind  man,  whose  wife  was  leading  him 
by  means  of  a  stick,  one  end  of  which  she  held  in  her 
hand,  and  her  husband  holding  the  other  end  was 
following  her.  She  was  young  and  fair  of  face,  and 
the  pilgrim  made  signs  to  her  that  she  should  go  with 
him  and  leave  her  bHnd  husband  behind.  The  pro- 
posal thus  signified  pleased  this  wanton  woman,  so 
she  told  her  husband  to  sit  under  a  tree  for  a  few 
minutes  while  she  went  and  plucked  him  a  ripe 
mango.  ^     The  blind  man  sat  down  accordingly,  and 

1  "  The  most  useful,  plentiful,  and  best  fruit,"  says  Forbes,  in 
his  Oriental  Memoirs,  vol.  i,  p.  30,  "is  the  mango,  which 
grows  abundantly  all  over  Hindustan,  even  in  the  forests  and 
hedge-rows,  on  trees  equal  in  size  to  a  large  English  oak,  but  in 
appearance  and  foliage  more  resembling  the  Spanish  chestnut. 
This  valuable  fruit  varies  in  shape,  colour,  and  flavour  as  much 
as  apples  do  in  Europe.  The  superior  kinds  are  extremely 
delicious,  and  in  the  interior  resemble  the  large  yellow  peach  of 
Venice,  heightened  by  the  flavour  of  the  orange  and  agana  ;  and 
so  plentiful  are  mangoes  in  the  hot  season  throughout  most  parts 
of  India  that  during  my  residence  in  Guzerat  they  were  sold  in 
the  public  markets  for  one  rupee  the  cusly,  or  600  lbs.  in  English 
weight  for  half-a-crown.  They  are  a  delicacy  to  the  rich,  a 
nutritious  food  for  the  poor,  who  in  the  mango  season  require 
but  little  others  ustenance." — The  skin  of  the  mango  is  described 


2i6      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

his  wife  went  away  with  the  Brahman.^  After  waiting 
a  long  time  in  expectation  of  his  wife's  return,  and  no 
person  coming  near  him  (for  it  was  an  unfrequented 
place),  her  infidelity  became  painfully  apparent  to  him 
and  he  bitterly  cursed  both  her  and  the  villain  who 
had  enticed  her  from  him.  For  six  days  he  remained 
at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  in  woeful  condition,  without 
a  morsel  of  rice  or  a  drop  of  water,  and  he  was  well- 
nigh  dead  when  at  length  he  heard  the  sound  of  foot- 
steps near  him,  and  cried  faintly  for  help.  A  man 
of  the  Setti  caste  and  his  wife  came  up  to  him,  and 
inquired  how  he  happened  to  be  in  such  a  plight. 
The  blind  man  told  them  that  his  wife  had  deserted 
him  and  gone  away  with  a  young  Brahman,  whom 
they  had  met,  leaving  him  there  alone  and  helpless. 
His  story  excited  the  compassion  of  the  Setti  and  his 
wife.  They  gave  him  to  eat  of  the  small  quantity  of 
rice  they  had  with  them,  and,  having  supplied  him  with 

as  being  smooth  and  tough ;  its  colour  when  ripe  is  grass  green, 
or  yellow  in  many  shades,  with  occasional  tinges  and  streaks  of 
bright  red  ;  the  pulp  is  as  juicy  as  our  wall-fruit.  The  kernel 
is  of  a  hot  and  rather  offensive  flavour,  but  the  poor  people 
collect  it,  and  when  dried  grind  it  into  flour  for  bread,  which  is 
more  wholesome  than  agreeable.  An  orchard  of  mango-trees 
is  a  small  fortune  to  the  possessor,  and  when  they  are  in  blossom 
it  forms  a  luxurious  resort  to  the  lovers  of  Nature. — Mrs.  Meet- 
Hasan  AH. 

1  "Alas!"  says  Somadeva,  "fickle  is  the  mind  of  woman!" 
Again:  "A  woman  desires  fresh  men,  as  the  humble  bee 
wanders  from  flower  to  flower."  And  again:  "A  fickle  dame 
is  like  a  sunset — momentarily  aglow  for  everyone. " 


STOJ^Y'  OF  THE  SETTI  or  THE  BLIND  MAN.  217 

water  to  quench  his  thirst,  the  Setti  bade  his  wife  lead 
him  with  his  stick.  The  woman,  though  somewhat 
reluctant  to  walk  thus  in  company  with  a  man  who 
was  not  her  husband,  yet  reflecting  that  charitable 
actions  ought  never  to  be  left  undone,  complied  with 
her  lord's  request,  and  began  to  lead  the  blind  man. 
After  travelling  in  this  manner  for  a  day,  the  three 
reached  a  town,  and  took  up  their  abode  for  the  night 
in  the  house  of  a  friend  of  the  Setti,  where  the  latter 
,and  his  wife  gave  the  blind  man  a  share  of  their  rice 
before  tasting  a  morsel  themselves. 

At  daybreak  the  next  morning  they  advised  him  to 
try  to  provide  for  himself  in  some  way  in  that  town, 
and  prepared  to  resume  their  journey.  But  the  blind 
man,  forgetting  all  the  kindness  they  had  shown  him, 
began  to  raise  an  alarm,  crying  out :  "  Is  there  no 
king  in  this  city  to  protect  me  and  give  me  my  rights  ? 
Here  is  a  Setti  rascal  taking  away  my  wife  with  him. 
As  I  am  blind,  she  denies  that  I  am  her  husband, 
and  follows  that  rogue.  But  will  not  the  king  give  me 
justice?"  The  people  in  the  street  at  once  reported 
these  words  to  the  king,  who  caused  inquiry  to  be 
made  into  the  matter.  The  fact  of  the  Setti's  wife 
having  led  the  blind  man  seemed  to  indicate  that  the 
latter,  and  not  the  Setti,  was  the  woman's  husband, 
and  the  king  foolishly  concluded  that  both  the  Setti 
and  his  wife  were  the  real  criminals.  Accordingly  he 
sentenced  the  Setti  to  the  gallows,  because  he  had 
attempted  to  entice  away  a  married  woman,  and  his 


2i8      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

wife  to  be  burnt  in  the  kiln,  as  she  had  wished  to 
forsake  her  husband,  and  he  a  blind  man.  When 
these  sentences  were  pronounced  the  blind  man  was 
thunderstruck.  The  thought  that  by  a  deliberate  lie 
he  had  caused  the  death  of  two  innocent  persons  now 
stung  him  to  the  heart.  By  this  lie  he  expected  that 
the  Setti  only  should  be  punished,  and  that  the  woman 
should  be  made  over  to  him  as  his  own  wife,  but  now 
he  found  that  she  also  was  condemned  to  death. 
"Vile  wretch  that  I  am  !"  said  he.  "I  do  not  know 
what  sins  I  committed  in  a  former  life  to  be  thus  blind 
now.^  My  real  wife,  too,  deserted  me;  and  I,  heaping 
sins  upon  sins,  have  now  by  a  false  report  sent  to 
death  an  innocent  man  and  his  wife,  who  rescued  me 
from  a  horrible  fate  and  tended  to  all  my  wants  last 
night.  O  Mahamayi  !  what  punishment  you  have 
in  reserve  for  me,  I  know  not ! "  This  soliloquy, 
being  overheard  by  some  bystanders,  was  communi- 
cated to  the  king,  who,  bitterly  reproaching  himself 
for  having  so  rashly  acted,  at  once  released  the  good 
Setti  and  his  wife,  and  caused  the  ungrateful  blind 
man  to  be  burnt  in  the  kiln. 

"Thus    you    see,    my   lord,"    added    the    Fourth 
Minister,  "how  nearly  that  king  had  plunged  into  a 

1  Compare  with  this  the  question  asked  of  Jesus  Christ  by  his 
disciples  (John  ix,  2):  "Master,  who  did  sin,  this  man  or  his 
parents,  that  he  was  born  blind?"  from  which  it  would  appear 
some  of  the  Jews  in  those  days  entertained  notions  akin  to  the 
Hindu  (and  Pythagorean)  doctrine  of  metempsychosis. 


KING  ALAKESA    IN  COUNCIL.  219 

gulf  of  crime  by  his  rashness.  Therefore,  my  most 
noble  king,  I  would  respectfully  and  humbly  request 
you  to  consider  well  the  case  of  Bodhaditya,  and 
punish  him  severely  if  he  be  found  really  guilty." 
Having  thus  spoken,  he  obtained  leave  to  depart. 

The  night  was  now  over  :  darkness,  the  harbourer 
of  vice,  had  fled  away ;  the  day  dawned.  King 
Alakesa  left  his  bedchamber,  bathed  and  made  his 
religious  ablutions,  and  after  breakfasting  summoned 
a  council  of  all  his  father's  old  ministers  and  advisers. 
Alakesa  took  his  seat  in  the  midst  of  the  assembly  : 
anger  was  clearly  visible  in  his  countenance ;  his  eyes 
had  lost  their  natural  expression  and  had  turned  very 
red ;  his  breath  was  as  hot  as  that  of  a  furnace. 
He  thus  addressed  them  :  "  Know  ye  all,  the  ministers 
of  my  father  and  of  myself,  that  last  night,  during  the 
first  watch,  my  First  Minister,  Bodhaditya,  while  I 
and  my  queen  were  asleep  in  our  chamber,  came  and 
touched  with  his  finger  the  bosom  of  my  queen. 
Consider  well  the  gravity  of  this  crime,  and  express 
your  opinions  as  to  what  punishment  he  merits." 
Thus  spake  King  Alakesa  ;  but  all  the  ministers,  not 
knowing  what  answer  to  return,  hung  down  their 
heads  in  silence.  Among  those  present  was  an  aged 
minister  named  Manuniti,  who  called  Bodhaditya  to 
his  side  and  privately  lea:rned  the  whole  story.  He 
then  humbly  bowed  before  the  king,  and  thus  spake  : 
"  Most   noble  king,  men  are   not  always  wise ;    and. 


220      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

before  replying  to  your  majesty's  question,  I  beg 
permission  to  relate  in  your  presence  the  story  of  a 
king  in  whose  reign  a  certain  benevolent  action  was 
repaid  with  disgrace  and  ignominy  : 

Story  of  the    Wonderful  Mango  Fruit. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Kaveri  there  was  a  city  called 
Tiruvidaimarudur,  where  ruled  a  king  named  Chakra- 
ditya.  In  that  city  there  lived  a  poor  Brahman  and 
his  wife,  who,  having  no  children,  brought  up  in  their 
house  a  young  parrot  as  tenderly  as  if  it  had  been 
their  own  offspring.  One  day  the  parrot  was  sitting 
on  the  roof  of  the  house,  basking  itself  in  the  morning 
sun,  when  a  large  flock  of  parrots  flew  past,  talking  to 
each  other  about  certain  mango  fruits.  The  Brah- 
man's parrot  asked  them  what  were  the  peculiar 
properties  of  those  fruits,  and  was  informed  that 
beyond  the  seven  oceans  there  was  a  great  mango 
tree,  the  fruit  of  which  gave  perpetual  youth  to  the 
person  who  ate  of  it,  however  old  and  infirm  he 
might  be.  On  hearing  of  this  wonder  the  Brahman's 
parrot  requested  permission  to  accompany  them,  which 
being  granted,  they  all  continued  their  flight.  When 
at  length  they  arrived  at  the  mango  tree,  all  ate  of  its 
fruit ;  but  the  Brahman's  parrot  reflected  :  "  It  would 
not  be  right  for  me  to  eat  of  this  fruit ;  I  am  still 
young,  while  my  adopted  parents,  the  poor  Brahman 
and  his  wife,  are  very  old.  So  I  shall  give  them  this 
fruit,  and  they  will   become  young  and  blooming  by 


STORY  OF   THE  MANGO   FRUTT.  221 

eating  it."  And  that  same  evening  the  good  parrot 
brought  the  fruit  to  the  Brahman,  and  explained  to 
him  its  extraordinary  properties.  But  the  Brahman 
thought  within  himself :  "  I  am  a  beggar.  What 
although  I  should  become  young  and  live  for  ever 
or  should  die  this  very  moment  ?  Our  king  is  very 
good  and  charitable.  If  such  a  great  man  should  eat 
of  this  fruit  and  renew  his  youth,  he  would  confer 
the  greatest  benefits  on  mankind.  Therefore  I  will 
give  this  mango  to  our  good  king." 

In  pursuance  of  this  self-denying  resolution,  the 
poor  Brahman  proceeded  to  the  palace  and  presented 
the  fruit  to  the  king,  at  the  same  time  relating  how  he 
had  obtained  it,  and  its  qualities.  The  king  richly 
rewarded  the  Brahman  for  his  gift  and  sent  him  away. 
Then  he  began  to  reflect  thus  :  "  Here  is  a  fruit  which 
can  bestov/  perpetual  youth  on  the  person  who  eats  it. 
I  should  gain  this  great  boon  for  myself  alone,  and 
what  happiness  could  I  expect  in  such  circumstances, 
without  corresponding  friends  and  subjects  ?  I  shall 
therefore  not  eat  this  mango  fruit,  but  plant  it  care- 
fully in  my  garden,  and  it  will  in  time  become  a  tree, 
which  will  bear  much  fruit  having  the  same  wonderful 
virtue,  and  my  subjects  shall,  every  one,  eat  of  the 
fruit  and,  with  myself,  be  endowed  with  everlasting 
youth."  So  calling  his  gardener  the  king  gave  him 
the  fruit  and  he  planted  it  in  the  royal  presence.  In 
due  course  of  time  the  fruit  grew  into  a  fine  tree, 
and  during  the  spring  season   it  began  to  bud  and 


222      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

blossom  and  bear  fruit.  The  king,  having  fixed  upon 
an  auspicious  day  for  cutting  one  of  the  mango  fruits, 
gave  it  to  his  domestic  chaplain,  who  was  ninety  years 
old,  in  order  that  his  youth  should  be  renewed.  But 
no  sooner  had  the  priest  tasted  it  than  he  fell  down 
dead.  At  this  unexpected  calamity  the  king  was  both 
astonished  and  deeply  grieved.  When  the  old  priest's 
wife  heard  of  her  husband's  sudden  death,  she  came 
and  prayed  the  king  to  allow  her  to  perform  sati^\\h. 
him  on  the  same  funeral  pyre,  which  increased  the 
king's  sorrow ;  but  he  gave  her  the  desired  permission, 
and  himself  superintended  all  the  ceremonies  of  the 
cremation. 

King  Chakraditya  then  sent  for  the  poor  Brahman 
and  demanded  of  him  how  he  had  dared  to  present  a 
poisonous  fruit  to  his  king.  The  Brc4hman  replied  : 
"My  lord,  I  brought  up  a  young  parrot  in  my  house, 
in  order  to  console  me  for  having  no  son.  That 
parrot  brought  me  the  fruit  one  day,  and  told  me  of 
its  wonderful  properties.  Believing  that  the  parrot 
spoke  truth,  I  presented  it  to  your  maje.sty,  never  for 
a  moment  suspecting  it  to  be  poisonous."  The  king 
listened  to  the  poor  Brahman's  words,  l)ut  thought 
that  the  priest's  death  should  be  avenged.  So  he 
consulted  liis  ministers,  who  recommended,  as  a  slight 
punishment,  that  the  Brahman  should,  be  deprived 
of  his  left  eye.  This  was  done  accordingly,  and  on 
his  return  home,  when  his  wife  saw  his  condition,  she 
asked   the  reason   of  sucli   mutilation.      "  My  dear," 


STORY  OF   THE  MANGO  FRUIT.  223 

said  he,  "the  parrot  we  have  fostered  so  tenderly  is 
the  cause  of  this."  And  they  resolved  to  break  the 
neck  of  the  treacherous  bird.  But  the  parrot,  having 
overheard  their  conversation,  thus  addressed  them  : 
"  M}-  kind  foster  parents,  everyone  must  be  rewarded 
for  the  good  actions  or  punished  for  the  evil  deeds 
of  his  previous  life.^  I  brought  you  the  fruit  with  a 
good  intention,  but  my  sins  in  my  former  life  have 
given  it  a  different  effect.  Therefore,  I  pray  you  to 
kill  me  and  bury  me  with  a  little  milk  in  a  pit.  And, 
after  my  funeral  ceremony  is  over,  I  request  you  to 
undertake  a  pilgrimage  to  Banares  to  clear  yourself 
of  your  sins."  So  the  old  Brahman  and  his  wife 
killed  their  pet  parrot  and  buried  it  as  directed,  after 
which,  overcome  with  grief,  they  set  out  on  a  pilgrim 
age  to  the  holy  city. 

Meanwhile  the  king  commanded  his  gardener  to 
set  guards  over  the  poison-tree,  and  to  allow  no  one 
to  eat  of  its  fruit ;  and  all  the  inhabitants  soon  came 
to  know  that  the  king  had  a  mango  tree  in  his  garden, 
the  fruit  of  which  was  deadly  poison.  Now  there 
was  in  the  city  an  old  washerwoman,  who  had  frequent 
quarrels  with  her  daughter-in-law,  and  one  day,  being 
weary  of  her  life,  she  left  the  house,  threatening  to  eat 
of  the  poison-tree  and  die.  The  young  parrot  who 
was  killed  for  having  brought  the  poisonous  mango 

1  The  parrot,  of  course,  was  a  human  being  re-born  in  that 
form,  in  accordance  with  the  doctrine  of  metempsychosis,  which 
is  a  fundamental  article  of  the  Hindu  relieion. 


224      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

fruit  was  re-born  as  a  green  parrot,  and  was  waiting 
an  opportunity  to  demonstrate  the  harmless  nature  of 
the  tree ;  and  when  he  saw  the  old  woman  approach 
with  a  determination  to  put  an  end  to  her  life  by 
eating  of  its  fruit,  he  plucked  one  with  his  beak  and 
dropped  it  down  before  her.  The  old  woman  rejoiced 
that  Fate  sanctioned  her  death,  and  greedily  ate  the 
fruit,  when,  lo  !  instead  of  dying  she  became  young 
and  blooming  again.  Those  who  had  seen  her  leave 
the  house  a  woman  over  sixty  years  of  age  were 
astonished  on  seeing  her  return  as  a  handsome  girl 
of  sixteen  and  learning  that  the  wonderful  transforma- 
tion was  caused  by  the  supposed  poisonous  mango 
tree.  The  strange  news  soon  reached  the  king,  who, 
in  order  to  test  the  tree  still  farther,  ordered  another 
fruit  of  it  to  be  brought  and  gave  it  to  a  goldsmith  of 
more  than  ninety  years  of  age,  wlio  had  embezzled 
some  gold  which  had  been  entrusted  to  him  to  make 
into  ornaments  for  the  ladies  of  the  palace,  and  was 
on  that  account  undergoing  imprisonment.  ^  When 
he  had  eaten  the  fruit,  he,  in  his  turn,  became  a 
young  man  of  sixteen. 

The  king  was  now  convinced  that  the  fruit  of  this 
mango  tree,   so  far  from  being   poisonous,   had  the 

1  It  is  curious  to  find  goldsmiths  and  jewellers  invariably 
represented  in  Hindu  stories  as  arrant  rogues.  In  the  fine  old 
Indian  drama  entitled  Mrichchakati,  or  the  Toy-Cart,  it  is  said  : 
"There  is  no  lotus  that  has  not  a  stalk,  no  trader  that  is  not 
a  cheat,  no  gohlsmith  that  is  not  a  thief." 


STORY  OF  THE  MANGO  FRUIT.  225 

power  of  converting  decrepit  age  into  lusty  and  per- 
ennial youth.  But  how  did  the  old  priest  die  by 
eating  of  it  ?  It  was  by  a  mere  accident.  One  day 
a  huge  serpent  was  sleeping  on  a  branch  of  the  mango 
tree,  and  its  head  was  placed  over  a  fruit  :  poison 
dropped  from  its  mouth  and  fell  on  the  rind  of  that 
fruit.  The  gardener,  who  had  no  knowledge  of  this, 
when  asked  to  bring  a  fruit  for  the  priest,  happened 
to  bring  the  one  on  which  the  poison  had  fallen,  and 
the  priest  having  eaten  it  died.  And  now  the  king 
caused  proclamation  to  be  made  throughout  his  king- 
dom that  all  who  pleased  might  come  and  partake  of 
the  mango  fruit,  and  everyone  ate  of  it  and  became 
young.  But  King  Chakraditya's  heart  burnt  within 
him  at  the  remembrance  of  his  ill-treatment  of  the 
poor  Brahman,  who  had  returned  with  his  wife  from 
Banares.  So  he  sent  for  him,  explained  his  mistake, 
and  gave  him  a  fruit  to  eat,  which  having  tasted,  the 
aged  Brahman  became  young,  and  his  eye  was  also 
restored  to  him.  But  the  greatest  loss  of  all,  that  of 
the  parrot  who  brought  the  fruit  from  beyond  the 
seven  oceans,  remained  irreparable. 

"  Thus,  my  lord,"  continued  the  aged  minister, 
Manuniti,  "it  behoves  us  not  to  act  precipitately  in 
this  affair  of  Bodhaditya,  which  we  must  carefully  sift 
before  expressing  our  opinion  as  to  the  punishment 
he  may  deserve  at  your  majesty's  hands." 

When   Manuniti  had   concluded  his    story  of  the 

Q 


226      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

wonderful  mango  fruit,  King  Alakesa  ordered  his  four 
ministers  to  approach  the  throne,  and  then,  with  an 
angry  countenance,  he  thus  addressed  Bodhaditya : 
"What  excuse  have  you  for  entering  my  bedchamber 
without  permission,  and  thus  violating  the  rules  of  de- 
cency?" The  First  Minister  humbly  begged  leave 
to  relate  to  his  majesty  a  story  of  how  a  Brahman  fed 
a  hungry  traveller,  and  had  afterwards  to  endure  the 
infamy  of  having  caused  that  traveller's  death,  and  on 
King  Alakesa  signifying  his  consent,  thus  began  : 

TJic  Story  of  the  Poisoned  Food. 

There  was  a  city  called  Vijayanagara,  to  the  north  of 
which  flowed  a  small  river  with  topes  ^  on  both  banks. 
One  day  a  young  Brahman  pilgrim  came  and  sat  down 
to  rest  by  the  side  of  the  stream,  and,  finding  the  place 
very  cool  and  shady,  he  resolved  to  bathe,  perform 
his  religious  ablutions,  and  make  his  dinner  off  the 
rice  which  he  carried  tied   up  in  a  bundle.     Three 

1  Tope,  or  stupa,  a  sepulchral  memorial  monument ;  a  mound- 
like iDuilding  erected  for  the  preservation  of  relics.  They  are 
found  in  Afghanistan,  Tiljet,  Nepal,  and  Western  Asia  ;  also  in 
various  parts  of  Southern  India.  On  the  demise  of  Gautama 
[the  founder  of  Buddhism],  B.C.  543,  his  body  was  consumed, 
divided  into  eight  portions,  and  distributed  amongst  applicants, 
who  erected  topes  over  them.  The  word  tope  is  the  same  as 
stiiupo  in  Pali — a  mound  or  tumulus ;  st'hupo,  or  tope,  is  there- 
fore a  name  common  to  each  kind  of  tumulus,  whether  it  be  the 
solid  temple  dedicated  to  the  Supreme  Being  or  the  massive 
mound  erected  over  the  relics  of  Buddha,  or  those  of  one  of 
his  more  eminent  followers. — Balfour's  Cyclopirdia  of  India. 


STORY  OF   THE  POISONED  FOOD.  227 

days  before  there  had  come  to  the  same  spot  an  old 
Brahman,  whose  years  numbered  more  than  threescore 
and  ten ;  he  had  quarrelled  with  his  family,  and  fled 
from  his  house  to  die.  Since  he  reached  that  place 
he  had  tasted  no  food,  and  the  young  pilgrim  found 
him  lying  in  a  pitiable  state,  and  placed  near  him  a 
portion  of  his  rice.  The  old  man  arose,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  rivulet  in  order  to  wash  his  feet  and 
hands,  and  pronounce  a  holy  incantation  or  two  before 
tasting  the  food.  While  thus  engaged,  a  kite,  carr}'ing 
in  its  beak  a  huge  serpent,  alighted  upon  the  tree  at 
the  foot  of  which  was  the  rice  given  by  the  pilgrim  to 
the  old  man,  and  while  the  bird  was  feasting  on  the 
serpent,  some  of  its  poison  dropped  on  the  rice  ;  and 
the  old  Brahman,  in  his  hunger,  did  not  observe  it  on 
his  return  ;  he  greedily  devoured  some  of  the  rice,  and 
instantly  fell  down  dead.  The  young  pilgrim,  seeing 
him  prone  on  the  ground,  ran  to  help  him,  but  found 
that  life  was  gone ;  and,  concluding  that  the  old  man's 
hasty  eating  after  his  three  days'  fast  must  have  caused 
his  death,  and  being  unwilling  to  leave  his  corpse  to 
be  devoured  by  kites  and  jackals,  he  determined  to 
cremate  it  before  resuming  his  journey.  With  this 
object  he  ran  to  the  neighbouring  village,  and  report- 
ing to  the  people  what  had  occurred  on  the  tope, 
requested  their  assistance  in  the  cremating  of  the  old 
man's  body.  The  villagers,  however,  suspected  that 
the  young  pilgrim  had  killed  and  robbed  the  old 
Brahman ;  so  they  laid  hold  of  him,  and,  after  giving 


22S      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

him  a  severe  flogging,  imprisoned  him  in  the  village 
temple  of  Kali.  Alas,  what  a  reward  was  this  for  his 
kind  hospitality  !  and  how  was  he  repaid  for  his  benefi- 
cence !  The  unhappy  pilgrim  gave  vent  to  his  sorrows 
in  the  form  of  verses  in  praise  of  the  goddess  in  whose 
temple  he  was  a  prisoner ;  for  he  was  a  great  pandit, 
versed  in  the  four  Vedas,  ^  and  the  six  Sastras,  -  and 
the  sixty-four  varieties  of  knowledge.  On  hearing  the 
pilgrim's  verses,  the  rage  of  the  goddess  descended  on 
the  villagers  who  had  so  rashly  accused  and  punished 
him  for  a  crime  of  which  he  was  innocent.  Suddenly- 
the  whole  village  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  people 
lost  all  their  property  and  were  houseless.  In  their 
extremity  they  went  to  the  temple  of  Kali,  and  humbly 
requested  the  goddess  to  inform  them  of  the  cause  of 
the  calamity  which  had  thus  unexpectedly  come  upon 
them.  The  goddess  infused  herself  into  the  person  of 
one  of  the  villagers,  and  thus  responded  :  "  Know  ye, 
unkind  villagers,  that  ye  have  most  unjustly  scourged 

1  Vedas  :  "  divine  knowledge."  The  Vedas  are  the  holy 
hooks  which  are  the  foundations  of  the  Hindu  religion.  They 
consist  of  hymns  written  in  the  old  form  of  Sanskrit,  and, 
according  to  the  most  generally  received  opinion,  were  composed 
between  1500  and  1000  i?.c.  Some  scholars  have  thought  the 
oldest  of  the  liymns  may  lie  carried  back  a  thousand  years 
farther.  The  four  Vedas  arc  :  the  Rig- Veda,  the  Vajur-Veda, 
the  Sama-Veda,  and  the  Atharva-Veda,  the  last  being  of  com- 
paratively modern  date. — See  Dowson's  Classical  Dictionary  of 
Hindu  Mythology. 

2  The  six  Sastras  comprise  philosophical  systems  of  the  Hindus  : 
the  term  .Sastra  signifies  a  treatise  or  rule. 


STOKY  OF  THE  POISONED  FOOD.  229 

and  imprisoned  in  our  presence  an  innocent,  charitable, 
and  pious  Brahman.  The  old  man  died  from  the 
effects  of  poison,  which  dropped  from  a  serpent's 
mouth  on  some  rice  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  when  it  was 
being  devoured  by  a  kite.  Ye  did  not  know  of  this  ; 
nevertheless,  ye  have  maltreated  a  good  man  without 
first  making  due  inquiry  as  to  his  guilt  or  innocence. 
For  this  reason  we  visited  your  village  with  this  cala- 
mity. Beware,  and  henceforward  avoid  such  sins." 
So  saying.  Kali  departed  from  the  person  through 
whom  she  had  manifested  herself.  ^  Then  the  villagers 
perceived  the  grievous  error  into  which  they  had  fallen. 
They  released  the  good  pilgrim  and  implored  his  for- 
giveness, which  he  readily  granted.  And  thus  was  an 
innocent  man  charged  with  murder  in  return  for  his 
benevolent  actions. 

"Even  so,"  continued  Bodhaditya,  "my  most  noble 
sovereign,  I  have  this  day  had  to  endure  the  infamy  of 
having  violated  the  zanana  for  saving  your  valuable 
life."  He  then  sent  for  a  thief  who  was  undergoing 
imprisonment,    and   gave   him    the    handful   of  rice 

1  "It  is  a  very  common  practice,"  remarks  the  Pandit,  "to 
dupe  ordinary  people  in  this  manner  in  Hindi!  temples.  Some 
impostor  will  proclaim  to  the  crowd  that  the  god,  or  goddess, 
is  then  upon  him,  and  utter  whatever  comes  uppermost  in  his 
mind.  He  occasionally  contrives  to  accomplish  his  private  ends 
by  such  revelations.  The  ignorant  are  greatly  misled  by  those 
impostors,  and  learned  Hindus  condemn  the  practice  as  gross 
superstition." 


230      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

which  he  had  the  preceding  day  snatched  from  the 
king  at  dinner,  and  the  thief  having  eaten  it  instantly 
died.  ^  He  next  caused  a  servant  to  go  to  the  royal 
bedchamber,  and  fetch  from  the  canopy  of  the  couch 
the  pieces  of  the  serpent  and  his  little  finger-tip, 
which  he  laid  before  the  wonder-struck  king  and  the 
counsellors,  and  then  addressed  his  majesty  as  follows  : 
"  My  most  noble  king  and  ye  wise  counsellors,  it  is 
known  to  you  all  that  we  four  ministers  keep  watch 
over  the  town  during  the  four  quarters  of  the  night, 
and  mine  is  the  first  watch.  Well,  while  I  was  on 
duty  the  day  before  yesterday,  I  heard  a  weeping 
voice  in  the  direction  of  the  temple.  I  proceeded  to 
the  spot,  and  discovered  the  goddess  sobbing  bitterly. 
She  related  to  me  how  three  calamities  were  awaiting 
the  king  on  the  morrow.  The  first  of  them  was  the 
arrows  despatched  by  the  king  of  Vijayanagara  as 
sweetmeats  to  our  sovereign ;  the  second  was  the 
poisoned  rice,  and  the  third  the  serpent.  In  trying 
to  avert  these  calamities  I  have  committed  the  offence 
of  entering  the  zanana."  And  he  thereupon  explained 
the  affair  from  first  to  last. 

King  Alakesa  and  the  whole  assembly  were  highly 
delighted  at  the  fidelity  and  devotion  of  Bodhaditya  ; 
for  it  was  now  very  evident  that  he  had  done  nothing 
amiss,  but  had  saved  the  life  of  the  king  on  three 
occasions,  and  indeed  also  the  life  of  the  queen  by 
wiping  off  the  serpent's  poison  which  had  fallen  on 

1  "  Fiat  experimentum  in  corpore  vili.  " 


STORY  OF  THE  RESCUED  SNARE.  231 

her  bosom.  Then  Alakesa,  in  explanation  of  the 
saying,   "eating  the  protector,"  related  the 

Story  of  the  BrdJiinan  and  the  Rescued 
Snake. 

In  the  country^  of  Uttara  there  lived  a  Brahman 
named  Kusalanadan,  who  had  a  wife  and  six  sons. 
All  were  in  a  state  of  prosperity  for  some  time,  but 
the  entrance  of  Saturn  into  the  Brahman's  horoscope 
turned  everything  upside  down.  The  once  prosper- 
ous Brahman  became  poor,  and  was  reduced  to  go  to 
the  neighbouring  woods  to  gather  bambu-rice  with 
which  to  feed  his  hungry  family.^  One  day,  while 
plucking  the  bambii  ears,  he  saw  a  bush  close  by  in 
flames,  in  the  midst  of  which  was  a  serpent  struggling 
for  its  life.  The  Brahman  at  once  ran  to  its  rescue, 
and  stretching  towards  it  a  long  green  stick  the  reptile 
crept  on  to  it  and  escaped  from  the  flames,  and  then 
spread  its  hood  and  with  a  hissing  sound  approached 
to  sting  its  rescuer.  The  Brahman  began  to  weep 
and  bewail  his  folly  in  having  saved  the  ungrateful 
creature,  which  being  observed  by  the  serpent  it  asked 
him  :  "  O  Brahman,  why  do  you  weep  ?  "  Said  the 
old  man  :  "  You  now  purpose  to  kill  me ;  is  this  the 
reward  for  my  having  saved  your  life?"  "True,  you 
have  rescued  me  from  a  terrible  death,  but  how  am 

1  Full  grown  and  ripe  bambi'i  bears  a  kind  of  corn  which 
when  collected  and  husked  resembles  wheat.  Hunters  cook  a 
most  delicious  food  of  bambu  grain  and  honey. 


232      THE  KING  AND  HIS  FOUR  MINISTERS. 

I  to  appease  my  hunger  ?  "  replied  the  serpent.  The 
Brahman  said  :  "You  speak  of  your  hunger,  but  who 
is  to  feed  my  old  wife  and  six  hungry  children  at 
my  house  ?  "  The  serpent,  seeing  the  anxiety  of  the 
Brahman,  emitted  a  precious  gem  from  its  hood,^  and 
bade  him  take  it  home  and  give  it  to  his  wife  for 
household  expenses,  after  which  to  return  to  the  wood 
to  be  devoured.  The  old  man  agreed,  and,  solemnly 
promising  to  return  without  fail,  went  home.  Having 
given  the  gem  to  his  family,  and  told  them  of  his 
pact  with  the  serpent,  the  Brahman  went  back  to  the 
wood.  The  serpent  had  meanwhile  reflected  upon  his 
own  base  ingratitude.     "Is  it  right,"  thought  he,  "to 

1  Not  only  are  serpents  popularly  believed  by  Asiatics  to  be 
guardians  of  hidden  treasures,  but  they  are  also  said  to  have 
most  valuable  gems  in  their  heads,  which  they  sometimes 
present  to  persons  who  have  rendered  them  good  sersuce.  This 
notion  was  once  prevalent  in  Europe  regarding  toads ;  and 
readers  of  Shakspeare  will  remember  his  comparison  of  the  uses 
of  adversity  to  the  "toad,  ugly  and  venomous,  which  yet  wears 
a  precious  jewel  in  its  head."  A  curious  serpent  legend  is 
current  in  Kandahar  regarding  'Ali  Mardan  Khan,  when 
governor  of  that  city  :  A  cowherd  of  Kandahar  lost  two  or  three 
of  his  cattle  in  a  certain  pasture  and  came  to  the  governor  to 
complain  about  it.  'AH  Mardan  Khan  ordered  him  to  fill  some 
cowhides  with  lime,  leaving  a  hole  in  each,  and  to  place  them  in 
the  meadow.  It  appeared  that  a  serpent  came  daily  and  carried 
off  the  cattle,  and  on  this  occasion  took  away  one  of  the  hides, 
but  leaving  a  track  of  lime  behind  him  was  traced  to  his  lair. 
The  lime  in  the  hide  disagreed  with  him  and  so  he  died. 
Beside  his  carcase  was  found  a  great  heap  of  treasures  and  the 
philosopher's  stone,  which  immensely  enriched  'Ali  Mardan  Khan. 


THE  KING  MAKES  ATONEMENT.  233 

kill  him  who  saved  me  from  the  flames  ?  No  !  I  shall 
rather  perish  of  hunger,  if  I  cannot  find  a  prey  to-day, 
than  slay  my  protector."  So,  when  the  old  Brahman 
returned,  true  to  his  word,  the  serpent  presented  him 
with  another  valuable  gem,  and  after  expressing  a 
wish  that  he  should  live  long  and  happily  with  his 
wife  and  children,  went  its  own  way,  while  the 
Brahman  returned  joyously  to  his  home. 

"  Even  as  the  serpent  purposed  acting  towards  its 
benefactor,"  continued  the  king,  "so  did  I,  in  my 
rage,  intend  putting  to  death  my  faithful  minister  and 
the  protector  of  my  life,  Bodhaditya;  and  to  free 
myself  from  this  grievous  sin  there  is  no  penance 
I  should  not  undergo." 

Then  King  Alakesa  ordered  a  thousand  Brahmans 
to  be  fed  every  day  during  his  life,  and  many  rich 
gifts  to  be  distributed  in  temples  as  atonement  for  his 
great  error.  And  from  that  day  Bodhaditya  and  his 
three  colleagues  enjoyed  still  more  of  the  royal  favour. 
With  those  four  faithful  ministers  King  Alakesa  lived 
a  most  happy  life  and  had  a  most  prosperous  reign. 

.MAY  THERE  BE   PROSPERITY  TO  ALL  ! 


THE  ROSE  OF  BAKAWALl. 


THE  ROSE  OF  BAKAWALI. 


PROEM. 

E\'ERV  praise  is  due  to  that  Almighty  Creator  whose 
mercy  has  given  grace  and  perfection  to  this  garden 
of  the  earth.  The  flowers,  hke  the  loveHest  brides, 
reflect  the  lustre  of  his  beauty  ;  what  power,  then,  has 
the  pen,  a  dry  and  withered  reed  as  it  is,  to  record 
his  excellencies  ? 

Each  l)lushing  rose-leaf  still  exhales 
Those  heavenly  paradisal  gales, 
Creator,  which  thy  power  proclaim, 
And  make  the  bulbul  praise  thy  name. 
The  unexpanded  buds  confess 
Thy  glorj',  and  thy  power  express  ; 
And  all  the  loveliness  of  earth 
From  thee  alone  has  taken  birth. 
The  light  of  Layla's  i  beauty  glows 
Apparent  in  the  blushing  rose  ; 
And  in  Narcissus  still  we  find 
Sad  Majnun's  hair  tossed  by  the  wind.i 
O  if  his  mercy  rain  on  me, 

1  See  note  2,  p.  122. 


238  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

'T  will  wash  out  my  impurity, 
And  crown  my  hopes  with  verdancy  ; 
But  if  his  wrath  its  head  should  rear, 
'Neath  Ahmed 's^  shade  we  must  repair. 

Thousands  of  blessings  be  upon  that  glorified  Pro- 
phet, for  whom  the  heavens  and  the  earth  were 
created,^  and  the  footmarks  of  whose  Burak^  are 
impressed  on  the  foreheads  of  the  sun  and  moon. 
From  the  whole  collected  works  of  his  power,  the 
world  is  but  a  single  volume,  and  life  a  single  chapter. 
When  he  found  the  earth  required  his  presence,  he 
left  heaven,  and,  clothed  in  human  flesh,  descended 
here  below.  Let  us  turn  now  to  the  praise  of  the 
king  of  heroes,  namely,  Ali'.'^ 

1  Ahmed  :  "Praiseworthy";  one  of  the  appellations  of 
Muhammed. 

^  "  Had  it  not  been  for  thee,  verily  the  heavens  had  not  been 
created. " — Kurdn. 

3  Burak  was  the  name  of  the  animal  that  carried  Muhammed 
on  his  famous  (and  fabulous)  Night  Journey  through  the  Seven 
Heavens;  for  an  account  of  which  see  Muir's  Life  of  Mahomet, 
ii,  219-222;  Lane's  Modern  Egyptians;  and  D'Herbelot's 
Bihliotliiqtie  Orientate,  art.  Borak. — According  to  the  Sikandar 
Ndvia  (Alexander-Book)  of  Nizami,  Burak  was  silken  as  to 
body,  silvern  as  lo  hoof,  and  to  such  a  degree  swift  moving 
that  nothing  could  equal  him. — Canto  iv,  12,  p.  32  of  Clarke's 
translation. 

■*  AH  was  the  son-in-law  of  Muhammed,  having  married 
Fatima,  the  beloved  daughter  of  the  I'rophet.  Of  the  two  great 
sects  of  Muslims  the  sliValis  consider  Ali  and  his  immediate 
<lescendants  (eleven  in  number)  as  "the  true  and  only  imams  " 
in  succession  of  Muhannncd,  while  the  siinls  regard  the  khalifs 


PROEM.  239 

When  the  sun  had  irradiated  the  face  of  the  earth  I 
determined  to  dive  into  the  river  of  contemplation, 
with  a  view  of  gaining  some  pearls  of  ideas  therefrom. 
Many  came  to  hand,  yet  I  was  wondering  how  to 
use  them,  when  a  voice  reached  my  ear,  saying:  "O 
thou,  immersed  in  thought,  these  gems  befit  only  one, 
and  he  is  Ali :  may  peace  be  on  him  !  Open  thy 
mouth  in  his  eulogy,  because  he  is  an  emperor,  the 
lustre  of  whose  countenance  has  cast  a  shade  of  pale- 
ness on  the  moon,  and  has  redoubled  the  radiance  of 
the  sun.  If  he  would  give  loose  to  the  reins  of  his 
charger  in  the  seventh  heaven,  it  would  raise  disturb- 
ance among  the  stars." 

O  King  of  kings,  my  request  from  thy  mercy  is, 
that  thou  wouldst  prove  a  shelter  to  me  on  the  day  of 
judgment,  and  admit  me  into  the  ranks  of  thy  white- 
faced  servants.  What  shall  I  add,  when  it  is  pre- 
sumption on  my  part  to  address  thee  long  ! 

— 'Umar,  Abu  Bakr,  etc.- — as  the  lawful  representatives  of  the 
Prophet.  The  Persians  and  the  Indian  Muslims  are  (like  our 
present  author)  shi'ahs  j  the  Turks  and  Arabs  are  siinis. 


240  THE   ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE  astrologers'  PREDICTION  AT  THE  BIRTH  OF  OUR  HERO — 
HIS  FATHER  IS  STRUCK  WITH  BLINDNESS — HIS  FOUR  BROTHERS 
SET  OUT  IN  QUEST  OF  THE  ROSE  OF  BAKAWALI,  TO  RESTORE 
THEIR  father's  SIGHT — HE  SECRETLY  FOLLOWS  THEM — THEY 
FALL  INTO  THE  TOILS  OF  DILBAR,  AN  ARTFUL  COURTESAN, 
WHO   FLEECES   THEM    AND    MAKES   THEM    PRISONERS. 

THEY  relate  that  a  king  named  Zayn  ul-Muluk' 
reigned  over  a  city  in  the  eastern  part  of  Hin- 
dustan. He  had  already  four  sons  who  were  well 
trained  in  all  the  arts  and  sciences  of  the  time  and 
for  courage  compared  to  Rustam,^  when  Providence 
bestowed  on  him  a  fifth,  who  was  beautiful  as  the 
moon  in  her  fourteenth  night,  which  scatters  the  dark- 
ness of  the  world.  Zayn  ul-Muliik,  full  of  joy,  gave 
on  this  occasion  a  grand  feast,  and  by  the  advice  of 
the  astrologers  called  the  newly  born  Taj  ul-Muliik.'' 
The  same  astrologers,  having  cast  the  horoscope*  of 

1  "Ornament  of  kings." 

'^  The  Hercules  of  the  Persians,  and  the  principal  hero  of  the 
Shall  Naiiia  (Book  of  Kings),  Firdausi's  great  epic. 

3  "Crown  of  kings." 

"*  It  is  still  a  common  practice  in  Persia  and  India  when  a  child 
is  born — especially  a  son — for  an  astrologer  to  be  employed  to 
"  cast  his  horoscope"  and  thereby  foretell  the  child's  career  in  life. 
"In  1670  the  passion  for  horoscopes  and  expounding  the  stars 
prevailed  in  France  among  persons  of  the  first  rank.  The  new- 
born child  was  usually  presented  naked  to  the  astrologer,  whn 
read  the  first  lineaments  in  its  forehead  and  the  transverse  lines 


THE  KING  MEETS  HIS  FATED  SON.      241 

the  infant  prince,  declared  that  he  would  be  endowed 
with  courage  far  superior  to  any  other  mortal,  and  that 
genii  and  men  would  be  subservient  to  him ;  but  if 
unfortunately  his  father  should  look  on  him,  that  very 
instant  he  would  be  deprived  of  his  sight.  The  king, 
with  mixed  sensations  of  pleasure  and  grief,  gave  order 
to  his  chief  vazir  to  put  the  child  and  his  mother  in  a 
palace  at  some  distance  from  the  court,  which  was 
done  accordingly.  After  several  years  the  prince 
became  accomplished  in  every  science.  Being  a  lover 
of  sport,  it  chanced  one  day  that  he  went  far  into  the 
thick  of  a  forest  in  pursuit  of  a  deer.  True  it  is  that 
what  is  written  by  Fate  can  never  be  erased.  It  so 
happened  that  the  king  was  also  hunting  in  the  same 
forest  that  very  day,  and  encountered  the  prince. 
There  is  a  well-known  saying  to  the  effect  that  the 
wounded  part  is  always  sore,  notwithstanding  our 
efforts  not  to   be  hurt  again,  and  the  fugitive  slave, 

in  its  hands,  and  thence  wrote  down  its  future  destiny.  Catherine 
de  Medicis  brought  Henry  IV,  then  a  child,  to  old  Nostradamus, 
whom  antiquaries  esteem  more  for  his  Chronicle  of  Provence 
than  for  his  vaticinating  powers.  The  sight  of  the  reverend 
seer,  with  a  beard  which  'streamed  like  a  meteor  in  the  air,' 
terrified  the  future  hero,  who  dreaded  a  whipping  from  so  grave 
a  personage.  Will  it  be  credited  that,  one  of  these  magicians 
having  assured  Charles  IX  that  he  should  live  as  many  days  as 
he  should  turn  about  on  his  heel  in  an  hour,  standing  on  one  leg, 
his  majesty  every  morning  performed  that  solemn  exercise  for  an 
hour,  the  principal  officers  of  the  court,  the  judges,  the  chan- 
cellors, and  the  generals  likewise,  in  compliment  standing  on 
one  leg  and  turning  round  !  " — Demonologia,  by  J.  S.  F. 

R 


242  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

fly  wherever  he  will,  is  sure  to  be  overtaken  by  his 
pursuer.  The  moment  that  the  eyes  of  the  king  fell 
upon  his  son  he  was  struck  blind.  His  minister  at 
once  divined  the  cause  of  his  blindness.  The  king 
observed,  that  the  sight  of  a  son  generally  increases 
the  light  of  his  father's  eyes,  but  in  his  case  the  reverse 
had  occurred.  Hence  it  was  proper  that  such  a  son 
should  be  expelled  the  realm,  and  the  queen,  his 
mother,  made  to  sweep  the  apartments  of  his  haram. 
Then  physicians  equal  to  Avicenna^  in  learning  and 
skill  were  called  to  remove  the  king's  blindness,  and 
they  all  declared  that  the  only  remedy  was  the  Rose 
of  Bakawali.  Zayn  ul-Muluk  despatched  messengers 
throughout  the  land  to  proclaim  that  whosoever  should 
procure  that  wonderful  flower,  or  tell  where  it  was 
to  be  found,  should  be  handsomely  rewarded  ;  but 
without  success.  Thus  year  followed  year,  the  king 
passing  all  his  time  lamenting  and  weeping,  like  Jacob 
when  he  mourned  for  Joseph,  and  like  the  prophet 
Job,  waiting  with  impatient  anxiety.-     At  last  his  four 

1  Abi'i-Sina,  or  Abii  'AH  Sina,  or  Ilm-Sina,  called  generally  in 
.  Europe  Aviccnna,  was  a  famous  physician  and  philosopher  at  the 

court  of  Baghdad.  Born,  at  Bukhara,  A.H.  373  (A. I).  9S3),  died, 
at  Hamadan,  A. H.  427  (a.d.  1035).  He  wrote  nearly  one  hun- 
dred books  on  medicine,  most  of  which  are  now  lost.  He  was 
also  a  poet,  and  some  of  his  verses  are  still  extant. 

2  The  patriarch's  grief  for  the  loss  of  his  favourite  son  Joseph 
is  proverbial  among  Muslims ;  but  our  author  has  done  the 
"  Man  of  Uz"  a  great  injustice  when  he  likens  him  to  the  blind 
king,  as  "waiting  witli  iin]iatient  anxiety"  ! 


THE  FOUR  BROTHERS  SET  OUT.  243 

sons  besought  him  that  they  should  be  allowed  to  go 
in  quest  of  the  Rose  of  Bakawali.  The  king  at  first 
refused,  not  wishing  that  the  bright  lamps  of  his  house 
should  be  exposed  to  dangers,  but  was  ultimately 
prevailed  upon  to  yield  to  their  entreaties,  and  gave 
order  to  his  vazir  to  prepare  everything  needful  for 
their  journey — money,  beasts  of  burden,  tents,  and 
attendants.  The  princes  departed  and  traversed 
many  miles  at  random. 

By  accident  they  met  their  brother,  Taj  ul-Muluk, 
who  was  dragging  his  weary  feet  far  away  from  his 
native  land.  He  enquired  who  they  were  and  whither 
they  were  going.  In  reply  they  told  him  how  Zayn 
ul-Muhik,  their  father,  had  lost  his  sight,  and  that  they 
were  journeying  in  search  of  the  Rose  of  Bakawali, 
prescribed  for  the  removal  of  his  blindness.  The 
prince  on  hearing  this  said  to  himself:  "  I  must  try  my 
fortune  and  experience  on  the  touchstone  of  the  gold 
of  my  fate.  Perchance  I  shall  succeed  in  filling  the 
skirt  of  my  gown  with  the  roses  of  my  desire."  Having 
thus  resolved,  he  went  to  a  nobleman  named  Syid, 
who  on  looking  at  him  perceived  that  the  light  of  his 
countenance  surpassed  the  glory  of  the  sun,  and  the 
dark  cluster  of  his  locks,  falling  upon  the  fairness  of  his 
forehead,  resembled  the  gloom  of  the  clouds  passing- 
over  the  lustre  of  the  moon.  He  asked  him  :  "  Who 
are  you,  and  whence  have  you  come?"  Taj  ul-Muluk 
answered :  "  I  am  a  traveller  far  away  from  my  country, 
with  no  one  to  sympathise  with  me  in  my  misfortunes, 


244  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

and  none  to  cheer  me  with  the  soothing  music  of  the 
voice  of  a  friend.  There  is  no  one  to  assist  and 
comfort  me."  Syid  on  hearing  the  words  of  this 
second  Joseph  ^  was  highly  affected  and  agreed  to 
befriend  him. 

It  is  related  that  Taj  ul-Muliik  after  a  long  journey 
reached  the  city  of  Firdaus,  -  which  was  then  governed 
by  King  Rizwan.  It  was  evening.  Standing  on  the 
bank  of  a  river,  he  intended  to  take  up  his  abode  in 
that  town  for  some  time.  When  the  sun  had  finished 
his  diurnal  travel,  and  the  moon,  riding  on  her  sable 
charger,  had  commenced  her  ramble  in  the  east,  the 
four  princes,  mounted  on  their  swift-footed  horses, 
entered  the  city.  Their  eyes  fell  on  a  splendid  palace, 
every  window  of  which  was  hung  with  screens  of  the 
richest  brocade.  They  asked  one  of  the  citizens  : 
"Whose  palace  is  this?"  He  answered  :  "The  owner 
of  this  mansion  is  Dilbar  Lakhi."^  The  princes  asked : 
"How  has  she  obtained  such  a  palace?"     And  the 

1  A  comely  youth  is  always  said  by  Muslim  writers  to  resemble 
Josejih,  the  son  of  Jacob  the  Hebrew  patriarch,  who  is  con- 
sidered as  the  type  of  manly  beauty. 

2  Firdaus  :  Paradise.  Here  it  is  probal^ly  used  as  the  name  of 
an  imaginary  city  ;  at  all  events  I  cannot  find  that  there  is  any 
town  of  the  name  in  Persia  or  India. 

3  Dilbar  :  "  hcart-stealer  ";  and  surnamed  Laklii  (as  will  be 
seen  presently)  because  she  required  to  be  paid  a  lakli  (100,000) 
of  rupfs  by  every  man  who  sought  her  society.  The  rupi  (rupee) 
is  nominally  valued  at  two  shillings,  but  at  present  it  is  at  con- 
sideral>le  discount,  being  only  worth  from  is.  6d.  to  is.  Sd.  of 
English  currency. 


THE  ARTFUL    COURTESAN.  245 

man  replied:  "This  lady  is  unequalled.  In  beauty 
and  grace  she  has  no  rival  on  this  earth.  The  sun 
even  would  sacrifice  himself  on  her  charms  as  the 
moth  does  on  the  light  of  the  taper  ;i  and  the  moon 
would  hide  her  diminished  glory  before  the  lustre  of 
her  charms.  For  those  who  court  her  society  she 
keeps  a  drum  hung  on  the  door,  on  beating  which, 
should  they  be  rich  enough  to  pay  a  lakh  of  rupfs, 
they  will  have  the  happiness  of  meeting  her."  At 
these  words,  the  young  princes,  proud  of  their  social 
position  and  wealth,  wished  to  gratify  their  love  of 
pleasure,  so  they  approached  the  door  and  loudly  beat 
the  drum.  When  Dilbar  heard  the  sound  she  could 
not  contain  her  joy.  "Well,  well!"  she  said,  "since 
the  prey  seeks  to  enter  my  net,  it  must  be  caught. 
Women  of  my  trade  are  always  in  hopes  that  some 
one  void  of  sense  and  with  a  full  purse  will  fall  into 
their  hands."  She  quickly  adorned  herself  with  rubies, 
emeralds,  diamonds  and  pearls  and  sat  down  to  receive 
the  sons  of  Zayn  ul-Muliik.  She  made  them  sit  on  a 
golden  seat,  and  then  rosy-cheeked  slave-girls  came 
and  presented  them  with  wine  in  cups  of  gold,  and 
with  different  kinds  of  food  in  dishes  of  silver.  When 
half  of  the  night  had  passed  in  drinking  and  talking, 
this  artful  woman  proposed  to  them  that  they  should 

1  The  fascination  of  the  moth  for  the  flame  of  the  candle  is  a 
favourite  simile  with  Asiatic  writers  for  the  love-struck  youth 
and  the  beauty  whose  charms  have  ensnared  him.  Sa'di,  in  his 
Btistdn,  has  a  fine  mystical  poem  on  this  subject. 


246  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

play  at  backgammon  by  way  of  amusement,  and  the 
princes  assented  with  pleasure.  The  board  was  brought, 
and  she  placed  a  lamp  on  the  head  of  a  cat,  which  she 
had  taken  great  pains  to  train  up  to  her  designs,  and 
staked  a  lakh  of  rupis  on  the  first  game.  Before 
the  night  was  over  the  princes  lost  fifteen  lakhs  of 
rupis.  In  the  morning  they  took  leave  of  Dilbar  and 
returned  to  their  tents.  The  following  night  they  again 
went  to  the  mansion  of  Dilbar,  and  that  designing 
woman  won  from  them  not  only  all  their  money  but 
also  their  horses,  elephants,  and  camels.  Then  she 
said  to  them  :  "  Young  men,  seeing  that  nothing  now 
remains  to  you,  I  think  you  had  better  go  home." 
"No,"  said  they;  "allow  us  once  more  to  hang  on 
the  scale  of  experiment  the  gold  of  our  fortune.  If  the 
scale  incline  to  our  side,  we  depart  with  all  our  pro- 
perty ;  if  it  fall  to  your  side,  we  lose  everything  and 
become  your  slaves."  Dilbar  accepted  this  proposal 
and  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  won  the  game,  and  thus 
became  absolute  mistress  of  the  goods  and  persons  of 
the  sons  of  Zayn  ul-Muli'ik,  who  were  sent  at  once  to 
keep  company  with  many  others  in  the  same  predica- 
ment. The  attendants  of  the  four  princes,  on  learning 
their  fate,  like  the  petals  of  the  rose  which  fall  in 
autumn,  were  in  great  trouble  and  excitement. 


THE  PRINCE  AND    THE  AMIR.  247 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE  PRINCE  DETERMINES  TO  RESCUE  HIS  BRETHREN — HE  TAKES 
SERVICE  WITH  A  NOBLEMAN,  AND  MAKES  FRIENDS  WITH 
DILBAR'S  CONFEDERATE,  BY  WHOSE  INSTRUCTIONS  HE  TURNS 
THE  TABLES  ON  DILBAR,  AND  WINS  ALL  HER  WEALTH  AND 
HER  OWN  PERSON— HE  TELLS  DILBAR  OF  HIS  DESIGN  TO 
OBTAIN  THE  ROSE  OF  BAKAWALI,  AND  SHE  WARNS  HIM  OF 
THE  DANGERS  HE  MUST  ENCOUNTER — HE  RELATES  THE  STORY 
OF  THE  BRAHMAN  AND  THE  LION — DILBAR  EXHORTS  OUR 
HERO   BEFORE    HIS    DEPARTURE. 

Taj  ul-:\iuluk  immediately  formed  the  resolution  to 
make  an  effort  to  save  his  brothers.  Full  of  this  idea, 
he  presented  himself  at  the  door  of  an  Amir  and  said 
to  the  porter :  "  I  am  a  traveller  without  means,  and 
wish  to  enter  the  employment  of  your  master,  whose 
noble  qualities  I  have  heard  much  praised."  The 
Amir  admitted  Taj  ul-]\Iuluk  into  his  presence,  and, 
charmed  with  the  beauty  and  dignity  of  his  features, 
willingly  accepted  his  offer,  and  from  that  day  treated 
him  with  increasing  kindness.  ^Vhen  Taj  ul-Muluk 
had  passed  several  months  in  the  service  of  the  Amir, 
and  had  saved  a  considerable  sum  of  money,  he  said  to 
his  master  one  day  that  a  friend  of  his  had  just  arrived 
in  the  town,  and  he  was  desirous  that  he  should  be 
permitted  to  go  and  see  him  every  day  and  pass  a  few 
hours  in  his  company.  This  was  most  cordially 
granted,  and  the  prince  went  daily  to  the  house  of  the 
backgammon  players,  from  whom  he  learned  all  the 
rules  of  the  game.      When  he  thought  he  was  able  to 


248  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

play  with  Dilbar  he  proceeded  to  her  palace.  An 
old  woman,  the  confidante  of  Dilbar,  who  did  nothing 
without  her  advice,  opened  the  door,  and  the  prince 
threw  himself  at  her  feet  and  burst  into  tears.  She 
asked  him  who  he  was  and  what  he  wanted.  "Alas!'" 
he  cried,  "  I  am  an  unhappy  traveller,  without  friends 
or  acquaintances.  I  have  no  help  but  God  in  this 
town.  My  country  is  far  east  of  here.  I  had  a 
grandmother,  but  God  admitted  her  into  Paradise,^ 
and  I  am  left  alone  in  this  world  of  sorrow !  I  trace  in 
you  a  strong  resemblance  to  her,  hence  have  I  fallen 
at  your  feet.  If  you  are  pleased  to  look  on  me  with 
an  eye  of  kindness  and  have  compassion  on  ni} 
wretched  condition,  I  offer  to  remain  near  you  and  to 
regard  you  as  my  grandmother."  The  tone  of  sin- 
cerity with  which  the  prince  uttered  these  words  made 
the  heart  of  the  old  woman  soft  as  wax.  "  My  dear 
young  man,"  said  she  to  him,  "  I  am  also  alone  in  the 
world.  From  this  day,  therefore,  I  adopt  you  as  m) 
grandson."  Then  he  told  her  that  he  was  engaged  as 
a  servant  and  would  not  be  able  to  see  her  every  day, 
but  he  would  come  as  often  as  he  possibly  could. 
After  this,  Taj  ul-Muluk  often  visited  that  old  woman, 
and  so  flattered  and  wheedled  her  that  he  soon  be- 
came the  confidant  of  her  secrets.  One  day,  after 
talking  on  indifferent  subjects,  he  asked  her  how  it 
happened  that  all  who  played  at  Ijackgammon  with 
Dilbar  always  lost.     "  My  dear  son,"  replied  she,  "  it 

1  See  note  on  \>\>.  187-8. 


DILBAR'S    TRIG  A'  EXPLAINED.  249 


is  a  very  great  secret.  Take  good  care  never  to  re- 
peat to  anyone  what  I  am  going  to  tell  you.  Dilbar 
has  trained  a  cat  and  a  mouse ;  she  has  accustomed 
the  cat  to  bear  a  lamp  on  her  head  and  the  mouse  to 
lie  concealed  in  the  shade  of  the  lamp.  When  the 
dice  do  not  turn  up  to  suit  Dilbar,  the  cat  moves  the 
lamp  and  causes  the  shadow  to  go  to  and  fro,  while 
the  mouse  turns  the  dice  again,  and  in  this  way 
Dilbar  wins  without  anyone  of  those  who  have  played 
with  her  being  able  to  understand  the  reason."  Taj 
ul-Muluk  went  to  the  bazar  and  bought  a  weasel, 
which  he  trained  to  lie  in  his  sleeve,  and,  when  he 
snapped  his  fingers,  to  come  out  suddenly,  like  a  little 
panther.  Then  he  visited  the  old  woman  and  said  to 
her:  "I  am  weary  of  service,  and  if  you  lend  me  a 
thousand  rupi's  I  will  try  to  start  some  business." 
The  old  woman  led  him  into  a  room,  and,  showing 
him  all  her  money,  bade  him  take  what  he  required. 
The  prince  was  satisfied  with  a  thousand  rupis.  Re- 
turning to  his  master,  he  told  him  that  a  friend  was  to 
be  married  that  day,  and  he  wished  to  attend  the 
nuptials  if  the  Amir  would  give  him  suitable  clothes. 
The  Amir  at  once  consented,  and  even  allowed  the 
prince  to  take  one  of  his  best  horses. 

Taj  ul-Muliik,  richly  dressed  and  mounted  upon  a 
superb  steed,  proceeded  to  the  house  of  the  artful 
courtesan.  He  was  no  sooner  introduced  to  her  than 
the  gambler  of  the  sky  closed  the  chessboard  of  the 
sun,  in  the  house  of  the  west,  and   threw  upon  the 


250  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

table  of  the  east  the  golden  dice  of  the  stars.  ^  "  I  am 
told,"  said  he,  "  that  you  are  fond  of  playing  back- 
gammon, and  if  you  please,  we  can  have  a  few  games." 
Dilbar  at  first  begged  to  be  excused,  but  in  the  end 
consented  to  play,  and,  as  usual,  placed  the  lamp  upon 
the  head  of  the  cat,  staked  a  thousand  rupis,  and 
threw  the  dice.  The  shah-zada-  allowed  her  to  win 
the  first  game  with  the  aid  of  the  cat  and  the  mouse. 
At  the  second,  as  fortune  did  not  turn  in  her  favour, 
the  cat  and  the  mouse  were  about  to  begin  their  old 
tricks,  when  Taj  ul-Mukik  snapped  his  fingers,  and 
the  weasel  ran  furiously  out  of  its  master's  sleeve, 
whereupon  the  mouse  disappeared  like  lightning,  and 
the  cat  astonished,  fled  like  the  wind,  overturning  the 
lamp.  The  shah-zada  pretended  to  be  in  a  great  rage, 
and  exclaimed  :  "  Artful  woman  !  What  tricks  are  you 
playing?  How  is  it  that  you  have  not  a  proper  lamp 
in  a  house  so  elegantly  furnished?"     At  these  words 

1  Persian  writers  are  extremely  fond  of  far-fetched  conceits. 
In  describing  sunrise  they  almost  invariably  borrow  metaphors 
from  the  incidents  last  related.  We  have  had  several  examples 
of  this  peculiarity  in  the  romance  of  Nassar,  as  (pp.  6,7)  in  the 
case  of  the  robbery  of  the  royal  treasury  by  one  of  the  eunuchs 
of  the  haram,  where  the  author  begins  his  account  of  next  day's 
events  thus  :  "When  the  eunuch  of  nig/it  had  retired  and  the 
prince  of  morn  estaljlished  himself  in  the  palace  of  the  horizon," 
and  so  fortli.  And  lieic  we  have  the  game  of  backgammon 
between  tlic  hero  and  Dilbar  utilised  for  a  description  of  the 
natural  phenomenon  of  sunset. 

-  "Shah-zada:"  ///.  "  king-liorn,"  or  son  of  the  king;  the 
usual  term  applied  to  royal  princes  in  Tcrsia. 


DILBAR  AND  OUR  HERO  PL  A  Y  AT  DICE.     251 


Dilbar  was  confused,  and  beads  of  perspiration  ap- 
peared on  her  brow.  She  caused  a  candlestick  to  be 
brought  and  then  the  game  was  resumed.  In  his  turn 
the  prince  had  the  advantage,  and  gained  that  night 
seven  crores  of  rupis.  In  the  morning  he  told  Dilbar 
that  he  was  obliged  to  return  and  breakfast  with  the 
king,  and  went  away,  leaving  with  her  the  money  he 
had  won,  and  promising  to  come  again  at  night. 

The  prince  came  at  the  time  appointed,  and  after 
they  had  partaken  of  some  food,  they  began  to  play 
for  a  crore  of  rupi's,  and  by  midnight  he  had  won  all 
Dilbar's  hoarded  money,  which  amounted  to  one 
hundred  crores  of  rupis.^  Dilbar,  in  despair,  wished 
to  play  next  for  her  furniture,  in  the  hope  of  winning, 
and  afterwards  recovering  what  she  had  lost.  But  she 
was  not  any  more  fortunate  than  before,  and  the 
prince  said:  "Well,  what  shall  we  do  now?  Do  you 
wish  to  play  once  more  with  me?  If  I  lose,  I  will 
give  you  a  thousand  rupi's ;  if  I  win,  you  will  give 
up  all  the  princes  you  have  kept  prisoners  by  deceit 
and  cheating."     Dilbar  agreed  to  the  proposal,  and  in 

1  A  crore  is  100  lakhs,  or  ten  millions,  according  to  the  Hindu 
system  of  numeration  ;  but  in  Persia  it  is  only  5  lakhs,  or 
500,000.  The  artful  Dilbar  must  have  had  an  enormous  amount 
of  wealth,  if  she  lost  to  our  hero  a  hundred  crores  of  rupis,  which 
even  according  to  the  Persian  computation  would  be  equal  to  five 
millions  of  pounds,  English  money,  estimating  the  rupi  at  two 
shillings.  After  this  she'd  be  fully  justified  in  describing  herself, 
as  honest  Dogberry  does  with  some  pride,  as  "  one  who  has  had 
losses  too ! " 


252  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

a  twinkling  the  shah-zada  had  again  won  the  game. 
Then  she  said  :  "  If  I  win,  I  will  keep  all  that  I  have 
lost ;  if  I  lose,  not  only  will  everything  belong  to  you, 
but  I  shall  be  your  slave."  In  this  last  throw  fortune 
was  once  more  propitious  to  Taj  ul-Muluk.  "  Happy 
young  man!"  she  cried,  "with  the  help  of  God  and 
your  horoscope  you  have  made  me  your  slave.  That 
game  which  all  the  kings  of  the  world  had  played  in 
vain  throughout  their  lives  is  at  last  in  thy  hand. 
Now  consider  this  as  thy  house.  Bind  me  to  thee  by 
the  ties  of  wedlock,  and  pass  here  the  rest  of  thy  days 
in  affluence  and  grandeur."  "  No,  no,"  said  the 
prince  ;  "  I  cannot  consent  to  it.  An  important  affair 
occupies  my  mind.  If  God  grant  me  success  in  it, 
you  also  shall  be  happy.  I  exact  from  you  that  you 
abandon  the  life  you  have  been  leading,  and  wait  for 
me  twelve  years,  employing  yourself  in  the  service 
of  the  Most  High."  Dilbar  earnestly  implored  him 
to  confide  his  secret  to  her.  "  Listen,  then,"  said  he. 
"My  name  is  Taj  ul-Muluk.  I  am  the  son  of  Zayn 
ul-Muluk,  the  king  of  an  eastern  country,  who  lost  his 
sight  by  an  accident,  and  learned  physicians  have 
unanimously  declared  that  his  blindness  can  only  be 
cured  by  the  Rose  of  Bakawali.  My  brothers  set  out 
in  quest  of  this  marvellous  flower.  I  was  secretly 
with  them,  and  when  I  learned  that  they  had  been 
ensnared  by  thy  wiles,  I  employed  artifice  against  thee 
in  my  turn,  and  thus  have  I  overreached  thee.  I  am 
determined  to  search  for  the  Rose  of  Bakawali,  and  if 


THE  PRINCE    TELLS   OF  HIS  PROJECT.      253 

I  succeed,  all  will  be  well,  if  not,  I  shall  give  up  life. " 
Hearing  this  Dilbar  said:  "Alas,  what  fanciful  idea 
has  taken  possession  of  thy  reason?  Know  that 
the  Rose  of  which  you  speak  is  in  the  region  of  the 
sun,  and  not  even  a  bird  could  succeed  in  reaching  it. 
Bakawali  is  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  the  Jinn,  and 
in  her  garden  is  that  flower.  But  it  is  guarded  by 
thousands  of  divs.  ^  No  mortal  can  approach  without 
their  permission.  O  prince,  do  not  expose  yourself  to 
such  dangers,  for,  as  Sa'di  says  : 

Although  'tis  written,  when  'tis  doomed,  we  die, 
Yet  in  the  dragon's  mouth,  O  wherefore  fly  ?"  - 

Taj  ul-Multik  replied:  "The  God  who  changed 
into  a  garden  of  roses  the  fire  into  which  Nimrod 
caused  Abraham  to  be  cast-^  will  crown  my  zeal  with 
success.  The  sons  of  men  are  inferior  to  dfvs  in 
strength,  but  they  are  superior  in  wisdom ;  for  God 
himself  has  said  :  '  I  have  given  glory  to  the  children.' 

1  Dlvs  (or  deevs)  are  similar  to  the  Jinn  (or  Genii)  of  Arabian 
mythology.  Some  are  good  demons,  being  faithful  Muslims,  but 
those  who  are  unbelievers  are  for  the  most  part  malignant  and 
delight  in  working  evil  on  mankind. 

2  A  quotation  from  the  Gidistdn,  or  Rose  Garden,  of  the 
celebrated  Persian  poet  and  philosopher  Sa'di,  ch.  iii. — Sa'di  was 
born,  at  Shiraz,  towards  the  close  of  the  12th  century,  and  died, 
in  his  native  city,  about  1291  a.d.,  having  lived  upwards  of  a 
hundred  years. 

3  According  to  the  Kuran,  because  Abraham  would  not  wor- 
ship idols,  Nimrod  cast  him  into  a  blazing  furnace,  which  was 
turned  into  a  rose-garden — evidently  a  distorted  version  of  the 
story  of  Nebuchadnezzar  and  the  three  devout  Hebrew  youths, 
Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego. 


254  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 


Story  of  the  Brahman  and  the  Lion. 

"  You  may  have  heard  that  a  Brahman  passing 
through  a  forest  saw  a  Hon  held  fast  by  a  rope  and 
confined  in  a  cage.  On  perceiving  the  Brahman  he 
begged  hard,  and  huml)ly  said  :  '  O  Brahman,  if  you 
will  kindly  release  me  I  will  recompense  you  some 
day.'  The  simple-minded  Brahman  was  affected  b) 
the  words  of  the  lion  ;  but,  blind  as  he  was  to  reason, 
he  did  not  consider  that  the  lion  was  his  enemy,  and 
that  no  reliance  could  be  placed  on  his  promises.  He 
opened  the  door  of  the  cage,  unloosed  the  feet  of  the 
lion,  and  set  him  at  liberty.  The  bloodthirsty  beast, 
as  soon  as  he  found  himself  free,  knocked  down  the 
Brahman,  and  seizing  him  by  the  throat  carried  him 
towards  his  den.  The  Brahman  cried  :  "  O  lion,  I 
did  a  good  service  for  you  in  hopes  of  getting  a  fair 
return,  but  I  see  thy  intentions  are  evil."  The  lion 
answered  :  '  In  my  religion  the  return  for  good  is  evil. 
If  you  do  not  believe  me  let  us  refer  the  question  to 
some  one  else,  and  whatever  he  says  will  decide  the 
matter.'  That  fool  agreed.  In  the  forest  there  grew 
a  tall  and  umbrageous  banyan  tree.  The  lion  and  the 
Brdhman  went  under  its  branches  and  referred  the 
matter  to  it.  Said  the  banyan:  'The  lion  is  in  the 
right.  I  have  always  seen  that  the  return  for  good  is 
evil.      Hear,  O  Brahman  !    I  stand  on  one  leg^  and 

1  Standing  on  one  leg  in  presence  of  a  superior  is  a  mark  of 
profound  respect  in  India. 


STORY  OF  THE  MAN  AND    THE  LION.      255 


cast  my  shade  on  every  traveller  that  passes  this  way. 
But  whoever  takes  shelter  in  my  shadow  is  sure,  on 
departing,  to  pull  off  one  of  my  branches,  to  make 
use  of  it  as  a  walking-stick  in  his  hand.  Now  say,  is 
not  evil  the  return  of  good?'  The  lion  asked: 
'Well,  my  friend,  what  sayest  thou?'  The  Brahman 
answered  :  '  Refer  the  matter  to  some  one  else.'  The 
lion  proceeded  a  few  steps  farther  and  questioned  the 
road  on  the  subject.  The  road  answered  :  '  The  lion 
is  right.  Listen,  O  Brahman.  The  traveller  deviating 
from  his  path  searches  for  me  with  the  greatest  care, 
and  when  he  finds  me  I  lead  him  to  his  home.  But 
in  return  he  defiles  me.'  The  beast  went  on  again 
and  saw  a  jackal  on  a  rising  ground.  He  was  about 
to  run  away,  when  the  lion  called  out :  '  O  jackal,  do 
not  be  afraid.  I  have  come  to  refer  a  question  to 
)0u.'  Said  the  jackal :  '  You  may  say  what  you  please, 
but  keep  your  distance;  for  if  you  approach,  I  am 
afraid  }-our  presence  will  render  me  senseless.'  The 
lion  said  :  '  This  Brahman  has  done  good  to  me,  and 
I  intend  to  return  evil  to  him.  What  sayst  thou  in 
the  matter?'  The  jackal  replied:  'I  cannot  quite 
understand  what  you  say.  How  can  a  man  who  is  so 
insignificant  do  any  service  to  a  lion,  who  is  styled 
the  monarch  of  the  forest  ?  I  can  never  believe  such 
a  thing  until  I  have  seen  it  with  my  own  eyes.'  The 
lion  said  :  '  Come  on,  and  I  will  show  it  to  you.'  So 
the  lion  and  the  Brahman  proceeded  and  the  jackal 
followed.     When  they  came  to  the  cage  the  Brahman 


256  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

said  :  '  O  jackal,  the  lion  was  fast  bound  to  this,  and  I 
freed  him.  What  is  your  decision?'  Said  the  jackal  : 
'  How  could  such  a  small  cage  hold  so  great  a  lion  ? 
If  he  would  re-enter  it  before  me  and  lie  down  as 
before,  and  then  if  you  should  free  him  I  shall  believe 
what  you  say.'  The  lion  entered  the  cage  and  the 
Brahman  commenced  tying  him.  The  jackal  then 
remarked  :  '  If  you  make  the  slightest  difference  in 
adjusting  the  knots,  I  shall  be  unable  to  decide  the 
case.'  The  Brahman  bound  the  lion  strongly,  and, 
having  fastened  the  door  of  the  cage,  said  to  the 
jackal :  '  In  that  state  I  found  him.'  '  Fool  that  you 
were,'  exclaimed  the  jackal,  '  to  expect  good  from 
such  a  powerful  beast.  It  is  laying  the  axe  to  your 
own  root  to  think  so.  What  need  have  you  to  give 
freedom  to  such  an  enemy  ?  Go  your  way  now,  for 
the  foe  is  overcome.'^ 

"  O  beloved,"  continued  the  prince,  "  whoever  gives 
freedom  to  complaints  and  impatience,  which  are  like 
the  Hon  confined  in  the  cage  of  the  body,  and  who- 
ever, showing  kindness  to  them,  removes  the  string 
of  resignation,  always  suffers  from  his  own  folly.  O 
Dilbar,  I  have  related  this  fable  to  show  that  the  body 
cannot  overcome  the  mind.  It  is  proper  for  thee  to 
release  the  princes  of  the  East  and  the  West,  and  God 
will  release  thee  from  the  pains  of  hell.  But  until  my 
return  be  very  careful  of  my  brothers.  And  now  give 
me  leave  to  depart." 

1  This  fable  is  omitted  by  Garcin  de  Tassy. 


D I  LEAK'S  LAMENT.  257 


Dilbar  Lakhi  answered  : 

' '  Do  not  leave  me  sad  and  lonely  ; 

Unattended,  why  depart  ? 
Wherefore  grieve  a  heart  that  loves  thee  ? 

Wherefore  crush  this  widowed  heart  ? 
As  the  shell  is  thirsty  for  the 

Drops,  that  make  it  teem  with  pearl, 1 
So  my  heart  is  longing  for  thee, 

While  thy  sails  thou  dost  unfurl. 
Lo,  the  storm  blows  fierce  and  furious. 

Leave  not  thou  the  joys  of  home  : 
Stranger  to  the  world,  O  wherefore, 

Joseph-wise,  in  exile  roam  ? 
Long  and  distant  is  the  journey  ; 

Hear  my  words,  and  stay — O  stay  ! 
Like  the  moth  I'm  fluttering  round  thee, 

Whilst  you  wish  to  pass  away. 

1  It  is  the  common  belief  in  the  East  that  pearls  are  formed  in 
the  oyster  out  of  drops  of  rain  falling  into  it  when  the  shells  are 
open.  This  notion  is  the  subject  of  a  mystical  poem  in  Sa'di's 
Bustdn,  or  Garden  of  Odours,  Book  iv,  which  has  been  thus 
translated  : 

"A  drop  of  rain  trickled  from  a  cloud  into  the  ocean  ;  when 
it  beheld  the  breadth  of  its  waters  it  was  utterly  confounded. 

'  What  a  place  this  sea  is,  and  what  am  I  ?  If  it  is  existent, 
verily  I  am  non-existent.' 

WTiilst  it  was  thus  regarding  itself  with  the  eye  of  contempt, 
an  oyster  received  it  into  its  bosom. 

Fortune  preferred  it  to  a  place  of  honour  ;  for  it  became  a 
renowned  royal  pearl. 

Because  it  was  humble,  it  found  exaltation; — it  knocked  at  the 
door  of  nonentity,  that  it  might  arise  into  being." — Robinson's 
Peisian  Poetry  for  English  Readers,  p.  328. 

S 


2S8  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

Beloved,  take  warning  from  what  you  have  seen.  The 
princely  mind  was  pure  and  clean ;  and  when  it  fell  in 
the  world,  the  world  was  dazzled  with  thy  brightness, 
and  became  blind.  Arise  now,  and  go  after  the 
attainment  of  thy  desire ;  but  never  allow  thyself  to 
be  prevailed  on  to  play  at  hazard  with  the  world, 
who  always  keeps  her  backgammon-board  open  for 
all.  Beware,  lest,  through  the  assistance  of  the  cat  of 
deceit  and  the  mouse  of  cunning,  she  turn  the  dice 
in  her  own  favour.  Then  the  treasures  of  thy  faith 
will  be  exhausted,  and  she  will  keep  thee  in  bonds  for 
ever.  If  by  the  help  of  the  weasel  of  patience  you 
will  expose  and  overcome  her  wiles,  she  will  then  try 
(she  who  has  subdued  kings  and  mighty  sovereigns)  to 
captivate  thee  by  her  charms,  declaring  at  the  same 
time  that  she  will  become  thy  slave.  But  should  you 
turn  away  your  gaze  from  her,  you  will  certainl) 
succeed  in  your  undertaking."  ^ 

1  Here  our  author  makes  the  courtesan  Dilbar  discourse  most 
eloquently  and  in  a  highly  moral  strain.  It  has  always  been 
much  easier  to  preach  than  to  practise,  I  ween  ! 


THE  PRINCE  BEGINS  HIS  JOURNEY.        259 


CHAPTER   III. 

SHOWING  HOW  THE  PRINCE  IS  HELPED  IN  HIS  QUEST  BY  A 
FRIENDLY  DEMON — MARRIES  MAHiMUDA,  A  BEAUTIFUL  GIRL 
— REACHES  THE  GARDEN  OF  BAKAWALI  AND  PLUCKS  THE 
ROSE — SEEING  THE  FAIRY  BAKAWALI  ASLEEP,  FALLS  IN  LOVE 
WITH  HER- -RETURNS  WITH  MAHMUDA  AND  REJOINS  DILBAR, 
WHO  LIBERATES  HIS  BRETHREN,  BEFORE  THE  THREE  SET 
OUT  FOR  HIS  OWN  COUNTRY — ON  THE  WAY  HE  IS  DEPRIVED 
OF  THE  ROSE  BY  HIS  BRETHREN,  WHO  RETURN  HOME,  AND 
BY  MEANS   OF  THE  FLOWER   RESTORE  THEIR  FATHER'S  SIGHT. 

It  is  related  that  Taj  ul-Mukik  assumed  the  garb  of  a 
darvesh,  rubbed  ashes  all  over  his  body,  and,  pro- 
nouncing the  name  of  God,  ^  set  out  on  his  journey. 
After  some  days  he  entered  a  forest,  so  dark  on 
account  of  the  number  of  trees  in  it  that  night  could 
not  be  distinguished  from  day.  But  the  prince  was 
far  from  losing  courage,  thinking  it  was  only  a  wave  of 
the  ocean  of  troubles  which  he  had  to  traverse.  "  I 
must,"  said  he,  "  draw  closer  the  girdle  of  resolution, 
and,  like  the  salamander,  plunge  into  this  furnace."^ 

1  Good  Muslims  never  commence  any  undertaking  of  import- 
ance or  danger  without  first  reciting  the  formula — which  is  also 
invariably  placed  at  the  beginning  of  all  their  writings — "  In  the 
Name  of  God,  the  Merciful,  the  Compassionate!"  {Bismillahi 
er-rahmani  er-rahimi). 

2  "That  a  salamander  is  able  to  live  in  flames,"  says  Sir 
Thomas  Browne,  "to  endure  and  put  out  fire,  is  an  assertion 
not  only  of  great  antiquity  but  confirmed  by  frequent  and  not 
contemptible  authority.  .  .  .  All  which  notwithstanding, 
there  is  on  the  negative  authority  and  experience.     .     .     .     The 


26o  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

He  then  penetrated  into  the  forest,  as  dark  as  ignor- 
ance, and  swarming  with  wild  beasts  of  every  kind, 
especially  ravenous  dragons  with  gaping  mouths.  He 
wandered  for  a  long  time,  to  the  right  and  then  to 
the  left ;  his  body  was  torn  by  the  sharp  thorns  of 
thickets  and  his  feet  were  pierced  by  those  of  the 
babiil,  to  such  an  extent  that  he  was  covered  with 
blood.  The  end  of  the  forest  was  only  reached  after 
great  difficulty,  and  prostrating  himself  before  God, 
he  prayed  most  earnestly.  Then  continuing  his  way 
he  saw  a  div  sitting,  whom  he  might  have  taken  for  a 
mountain.  When  the  div  arose,  his  head  touched  the 
sky,  and  from  his  voice  like  thunder  the  prince  heard 
the  following  words :  "  Young  man,  how  comes  it 
that,  of  your  own  free  will,  you  leave  the  city  of  life 
and  journey  with  the  feet  of  your  desires  in  the  path 
of  death?"  "  Learn,  you  who  question  me,"  replied 
Taj  ul-Muliik,  pale  and  trembling,  "that  the  life  of 
this  fleeting  world  is  a  misfortune  for  me.  If  it  were 
otherwise  I  should  never  throw  myself  into  the  jaws  of 
death,  and  should  not  find  myself  in  the  coils  of  such 
a  sanguinary  being  as  you.  Free  me,  then,  with  all 
speed  from  the  torments  which   I  am  suffering;  for 

ground  of  this  opinion  might  be  some  sensible  resistance  of 
fire  observed  in  the  salamander ;  which  l^eing,  as  Galen  deter- 
mineth,  cold  in  the  fourth  and  moist  in  the  third  degree,  and 
having  also  a  mucus  humidity  above  and  under  the  skin,  by 
virtue  thereof  it  may  a  while  endure  flame,  which  being  con- 
sumed it  can  resist  no  more." — Enqtn'ries  into  Vulgar  and 
Common  Errors,  ch.  xiv. 


HE  MAKES  FRIENDS  WITH  A  DEMON.       261 


one  hour  of  this  existence  is  Hke  a  hundred  years  of 
anguish."  The  div  was  moved  to  pity.  "  Listen,  son 
of  Adam,"  said  he.  "  Very  far  from  doing  you  an 
injury,  I  wish  to  take  you  under  my  protection  and 
lend  you  my  aid."  Thus  reassured,  Taj  ul-Muluk 
remained  with  the  div,  who  showed  him  much  friend- 
ship, and  they  were  soon  as  thick  as  milk  and  sugar. 
One  day  the  div,  being  well  pleased  with  a  meal  which 
the  shah-zada  had  prepared  for  him,  ^  pressed  him  to 
disclose  his  wishes,  swearing  by  Sulayman-  that  he 
would  accomplish  them  for  him.  Then  Taj  ul-Muluk 
told  him  that  he  was  most  desirous  of  entering  the 
country  of  Bakawali,  upon  which  the  div  sighed 
heavily,  smote  his  own  head,  and  appeared  agitated 
with  the  utmost  grief  "  What  do  you  ask,  my  young 
man?"  said  he.  "The  country  of  which  you  speak 
is  that  of  the  king  of  the  fairies,  and  it  is  guarded 
day  and  night  on  all  sides  by  ten  thousand  of  his 
slaves.  How  could  I  get  you  there?  And  yet  I 
must  keep  my  oath."  He  then  uttered  a  loud  cry,, 
and  presently  another  div  appeared,  to  whom  he 
communicated  the  shah-zada's  desire,  adding  :  "  Thou 
hast  the  power  to  grant  it,  and  I  ask  the  favour  of 
thee,  seeing  that  I  am  pledged  by  a  terrible  oath  to 
aid  him." 

1  See  the  note  on  pp.  108-9. 

2  To  swear  by  Solomon,  especially  by  Solomon's  signet-ring, 
is  the  most  binding  oath  which  the  jinn  and  the  fairies  can  take, 
since  its  breach  would  entail  a  dreadful  punishment. 


262  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

Now  this  second  div  had  a  sister  named  Hammala,^ 
who  was  the  chief  guard  of  the  country,  and  eighteen 
thousand  di'vs  were  her  subordinates.  He  wrote  at 
once  recommending  the  prince  to  her,  and  giving  the 
letter  to  a  messenger  told  Taj  ul-Muluk  to  be  guided 
by  him.  This  di'v  took  the  prince  on  his  left  arm  and 
with  his  right  protected  him  from  the  rays  of  the  sun. 
Thus  they  proceeded  on  their  way,  and  arrived  in  the 
presence  of  Hammala,  to  whom  the  div  consigned 
both  the  letter  and  the  prince.  She  said  to  the 
messenger :  "  If  my  brother  had  sent  me  a  whole 
mine  of  red  sulphur,  or  even  the  ring  of  Sulayman,  it 
could  not  have  given  me  more  pleasure  than  I  now 
feel."  Then  she  wrote  a  reply  to  her  brother,  saying  : 
"  I  once  had  occasion  to  travel  through  the  habita- 
tions of  man,  and  thence  I  brought  away  a  girl 
matchless  in  beauty,  the  daughter  of  a  king.  Her  I 
adopted  as  my  own  daughter  and  called  her  Mah- 
muda.'-^  She  is  now  in  her  fourteenth  year,  and  bright 
in  l)eauty  as  the  moon  when  half-full.  For  her  it  is 
evident  that  God  has  sent  this  youth — thanks  be  to 
the  Lord."  She  then  dismissed  the  messenger  with 
this  letter,  and  Mahmuda  was  at  once  married  to  Taj 
ul-Muluk. 

For  some  time  the  shah-zada  lived  with  his  protect- 
ress and  Mahmiida,  but  without  performing  his  marital 

1  "  Hammala"  may  mean  a  woman  who  carries  :   Garcin  de 
Tassy  calls  her  "  porteuse." 

2  "  I'raiseworthy  ":  "  Belauded." 


HE  REACHES   THE   GARDEN.  263 


duties,  and  one  day  when  his  spouse  complained  to 
him  of  his  indifference,  he  informed  her  that  an  im- 
portant matter  occupied  his  thoughts.  "  I  have  made 
a  vow,"  said  he,  "  to  forego  the  pleasures  of  this  world, 
even  lawful  ones,  until  I  have  attained  my  desire." 
"Be  of  good  cheer,"  rejoined  Mahmuda.  "If  it  please 
God,  I  will  untie  the  knot  of  the  thread  of  hope  with 
the  nail  of  prudence ;  and  I  will  tell  you  where  to 
find  the  town  of  Bakawali."  On  the  morrow  Hammala 
took  Mahmuda  on  her  knee,  as  usual,  and  over- 
whelmed her  with  caresses.  Mahmuda  then  said  to 
her :  "  My  dear  mother,  I  have  a  favour  to  ask  of 
you.  Will  you  grant  it?"  "Yes,  my  child,"  said 
Hammala,  kissing  her  head  and  eyes.  "This  it  is, 
then  :  the  shah-zada  wishes  to  visit  the  kingdom  of 
15akawali  ;  try  to  satisfy  him."  Hammala  at  first 
raised  up  dilSculties,  but  when  she  saw  that  her 
adopted  child  would  not  give  up  her  idea,  she  called 
one  of  her  followers  and  ordered  him  to  secretly  con- 
duct the  prince  into  the  garden  of  Bakawali,  which  he 
did  accordingly. 

When  Taj  ul-Muluk  entered  this  wondrous  garden, 
he  found  that  the  ground  was  of  gold,  the  walls  which 
surrounded  it  were  studded  with  the  rubies  of  Badak- 
shan,  ^  and  the  carnelians  of  Yaman.  Through  par- 
terres of  emeralds  flowed  streams  of  rosewater  in  beds 

1  Badakshan  is  a  mountainous  tract  of  country  in  Afghan 
Turkestan,  famous  for  mines  yielding  the  finest  rubies,  lapis- 
lazuli,  etc. 


264  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

of  topaz.  ^  Beautiful  indeed  was  that  grove.  The 
flowers  were  so  bright  that  had  the  sun  beheld  them 
he  would  have  been  covered  with  the  perspiratiop  of 
shame.  The  clusters  of  grapes  there,  vieing  in  colour 
with  the  emerald,  were  like  the  Pleiades  in  heaven  ; 
and  the  narcissus  was  more  graceful  than  the  flowing 
ringlets  of  the  most  charming  damsel.  That  garden  ! 
If  a  drop  of  its  dew  were  to  fall  in  the  ocean  it  would 
make  the  fishes  exhale  the  perfume  of  roses  ;  and  if 
the  sky  should  hear  a  single  note  of  its  birds,  it  would 
cease  revolving,  and  stand  still  to  listen  to  it.'-^  If 
Venus  heard  it,  she  would  dance  with  joy,  and  fall  on 
earth  in  company  with  the  moon.     Redder  than  the 

1  The  romance  writers  of  mediaeval  Europe,  after  the  first 
Crusade,  drew  largely  from  Oriental  fictions.  Thus,  for  example, 
in  The  Boke  of  Duke  Hiton  of  Bordeux,  among  the  many  wonders 
which  the  hero  sees  in  his  journey  to  the  court  of  the  Soudan  of 
Babylon  is  an  underground  river,  the  bed  of  which  was  composed 
of  the  most  precious  stones,  which  possessed  a  variety  of  curative 
properties. 

2  "The  heavenly  orbs,  according  to  the  principles  of  philo- 
sophy, possess  a  reasonalile  mind." — Aklildk-i Jalali.  "This," 
remarks  W.  F.  Thomson,  the  translator,  "is  inferred  from 
continuity  of  motion  and  influence  without  perceptible  external 
cause,  and  it  seems  men's  earliest  conclusion  and  the  origin  of 
star-worship.  Admitting  Plato's  notion  that  souls  were  intro- 
duced, or  perhaps  kindled,  by  the  heavenly  bodies,  nothing 
could  be  more  reasonalile  than  to  attempt,  by  observation  and 
induction,  to  ascertain  the  influence  contributed  by  each.  The 
premises  only  are  to  be  attacked  ;  and  for  these  the  chiefs  of 
classical  as  well  as  Oriental  literature  arc  responsible." 


HE  ENTERS    THE  FAIRY  PALACE.  265 

fairest  fruits  was  the  colour  of  the  fruits  growing  there;, 
and  much  more  graceful  than  the  tallest  form  were  the 
cypress-trees  that  waved  therein.^ 

The  prince  gazed  on  all  this  with  pleasure.  Suddenly 
his  eyes  fell  on  an  outer  hall,  made  of  ruby  and  jasper, 
inlaid  with  a  pond  full  of  the  purest  rose-water.  Its 
sides  were  studded  with  the  most  precious  stones,  and 
in  the  middle  of  it  bloomed  a  lovely  flower,  delicate 
to  view,  and  most  pleasing  in  fragrance.  The  prince 
concluded  that  this  was  the  Rose  of  Bakawali. 
Undressing  himself,  he  plunged  into  the  pond,  and 
obtained  the  flower  of  his  fondest  wishes.  Investing 
himself  again  with  his  garments,  he  deposited  the 
flower  most  carefully  in  his  pocket,  and  turned  his 
steps  towards  the  palace  of  the  princess.  A  magnifi- 
cent structure  composed  of  ruby  met  his  eyes.  Its 
doors  beamed  with  the  lustre  which  once  shone  on 
Mount  Sinai.'-'  Attracted  by  its  beauty  the  prince 
entered.  Every  hall  was  made  of  rubies.  The  win- 
dows were  ornamented  with  screens  of  the  richest 
embroidery,  the  work  upon  which  appeared  as  stars 
sprinkled  on  the  face  of  the  heavens.  Taj  ul-IMuliik 
advanced;  but  what  was  his  suqDrise  when  he  perceived 
a  magnificent  couch  on  which  was  reposing  a  slender 

1  The  cypress,  which  is  in  Europe  associated  with  sombre 
ideas,  is  by  Asiatics  commonly  employed  as  a  comparison  for  the 
graceful  stature  of  a  pretty  girl. 

-  Muslims  are  perfectly  familiar  with  the  principal  narratives 
in  the  Bible,  from  which  the  Kuran  is  largely  composed. 


266  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 


beauty,  fast  locked  in  the  arms  of  sleep  !  Her  hair 
was  dishevelled.  Slight  marks  of  lamp-black  were 
observable  round  her  closed  eyes,  ^  her  bodice  was 
loosened,  her  waistband  very  much  removed  from  its 
proper  place,  and  her  trouser-sleeves  were  pulled  up, 
and  its  bunches  of  strings  hanging  loosely.  With  her 
fair  hands  gracefully  laid  upon  her  forehead,  she  was 
sleeping  the  sleep  of  innocent  youth.  The  ruddiness 
of  her  cheeks  brightened  the  world  and  cast  the  sun 
and  moon  into  the  shade.  Those  black  eyes  would 
have  shamed  even  the  narcissus,  and  the  redness  of 
her  lips  would  make  the  heart  of  the  tulip  to  bleed. 
The  arch  of  her  eyebrows  made  the  crescent  hide  its 
face,  and  the  locks  of  night  paled  before  the  shady 
blackness  of  her  raven  hair. 

Tall  as  the  cypress  of  the  lawn  was  she, 

And  sweet  as  honey  were  her  lijis  so  red  ; 
If  seen  in  all  her  native  brilliancy, 

The  stars  would  lose  the  lustre  which  they  shed. 
Bright  as  the  pearls  her  shining  teeth  were  seen  ; 

Radiant  her  charms  as  Pleiades  on  high  ; 
She  was  a  rose,  the  fairest  rose,  I  ween, 

For  whom  a  thousand  nightingales  would  die. 

Taj  iil-Muli'ik  was  staggered  at  the  sight  of  so  much 
beauty  ;  l)ut,  on  regaining  some  degree  of  strength,  he 
approached  the  couch  and  softly  recited  these  verses : 

1  Asiatic  ladies  tinge  the  inner  edges  of  their  eyelids  with 
lami)-i)lack  in  order  to  increase  the  lustre  of  the  eyes;  it  is 
lielieved,   moreover,   to  strengthen   the  sight. 


HE  QUITS  THE  ENCHANTING  SCENE.        267 

"  If  thy  charms  thou  would'st  discover, 

Stars  would  all  their  light  forget, 
And  the  night  would  grow  the  darker, 

Gazing  on  those  locks  of  jet. 
Glowing  in  the  flush  of  beauty, 

Careless  of  the  world  art  thou  : 
What  am  I  ? — The  mightiest  princes 

Will  before  thy  beauty  bow  !" 

In  brief,  the  prince  thought  within  himseU'  that  it 
would  be  well  to  leave  some  token  of  his  visit.  So 
he  gently  took  a  ring  off  one  of  her  fingers  and  put 
his  own  in  its  place,  murmuring  the  following  lines  : 

"  Like  the  tulip,  lo  !  I  go,  a  spot  upon  my  suffering  heart, 
Dust  upon  my  head,  and  in  my  heart  a  sharp  and  rankling  dart. 
Like  me  in  this  scene  of  woe,  who  suffers  more  from  Fortune's 

power  ? 
In  this  garden  I  have  entered,  and  I  go  without  a  flower." 

While  she  was  yet  sleeping  the  prince  departed,  and 
returned  to  the  abode  of  Hammala,  who  was  waiting 
for  hirn  in  the  most  intense  anxiety.  When  she  saw 
him  she  smiled  with  the  sincerest  pleasure,  and  passed 
the  time  in  merriment  and  joy.  And  when  the  bride 
of  day  had  hidden  her  blushing  face  in  the  bed  of 
midnight,  and  evening  had  shown  her  murky  locks  to 
the  world, ^  the  prince  retired  and  that  night  showed 
every  endearment  to  his  spouse.  Thus  several  days 
passed  in  pleasure. 

One  night  Taj  ul-Muluk  sat  in  the  chamber  of 
Mahmuda  and  conversed  with  her  to  this  effect :  "  O 

1  See  note  i,  p.  250. 


268  THE   ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

source  of  all  my  happiness  !  although  I  here  enjoy 
comfort  and  everything  is  ready  for  my  convenience, 
yet  I  am  longing  for  my  native  land."  "Rest  con- 
tented," she  replied,  "and  to-morrow  I  shall  ask  leave 
to  depart."  Next  morning,  as  usual,  Hammala  ten- 
derly embraced  them,  but  perceiving  them  to  look 
sad,  she  asked  them :  "  What  can  I  do  to  please 
you,  my  darlings  ?  Fear  not  a  refusal."  Mahmiida 
answered  :  "  Your  tender  care  anticipates  all  our 
desires ;  but  there  is  one  thing  we  do  not  find  here, 
namely,  the  company  of  beings  like  ourselves;  and  so, 
notwithstanding  the  violent  grief  we  feel  in  separating 
from  you,  the  fire  of  the  love  of  country  reduces  to 
ashes  our  repose  and  necessitates  the  employment 
of  the  water  of  return."  Hammala,  greatly  afflicted 
by  this  sudden  declaration,  cried  out :  "  What !  have 
I  brought  you  up  with  so  mucli  care,  in  the  hope 
that  you  would  be  my  faithful  companion,  and  now 
you  wish  to  leave  me  !  Alas,  you  would  never  have 
thought  of  it,  if  I  had  not  married  you  to  the  shah- 
zada.  Ijut  it  is  all  my  own  fault."  Yet  seeing  that 
they  would  not  willingly  remain  with  her,  she  sum- 
moned a  di'v,  and  ordered  him  to  carry  the  pair  to  a 
place  which  Taj  ul-Muliik  would  indicate  to  him,  and 
bring  back  a  letter  intimating  their  safe  arrival.  Then 
Hammala  plucked  two  hairs  out  of  her  head,  and 
giving  one  to  the  prince  and  the  other  to  Mahmiida 
she  said:  "When  you  need  me,  put  this  hair  in  the 
fire  antl  I  will  at  once  hasten  to  you  with  a  thousand 


HE   REJOINS  DILBAR.  269 

divs,"^  and  having  received  their  adieus,  a  gigantic 
div  appeared,  who  was  swifter  in  his  course  than  the 
hghtning,  and  told  them  he  was  at  their  service. 
"Conduct  us  then,"  said  the  prince,  "to  the  city  of 
Firdaus,  and  into  the  garden  of  the  courtesan  Dilbar 
Lakhi."  The  div  took  them  upon  his  shoulders,  and 
quick  as  thought  deposited  them  in  the  place  indicated. 
Taj  ul-Muluk  then  dismissed  his  guide  with  a  letter  to 
Hammala,  announcing  their  safe  arrival. 

When  the  beautiful  Dilbar  heard  the  voice  of  the 
shah-zada  she  ran  out  to  meet  him,  and  throwing 
herself  at  his  feet,  returned  thanks  to  God  for  his  safe 
return.  He  told  all  that  had  occurred  to  him,  and  intro- 
duced to  her  Mahmuda,  whom  Dilbar  Lakhi  tenderly 
embraced  in  token  of  her  sincere  affection.  After  a 
few  days  Taj  ul-Muluk  made  preparations  to  return  to 
his  own  country.  At  the  moment  of  his  departure, 
Dilbar,  after  having  had  some  conversation  with  him, 
ordered  his  brothers  to  be  brought,  and  he,  who  was 
supposed  not  to  know  them,  begged  her  to  restore 
them  to  liberty,  as  she  had  already  done  to  the  princes 
of  the  east  and  the  west  who  had  fallen  into  her  power  ; 
but  she  consented  only  provided  she  should  be  allowed 
to  brand  them  on  the  back  in  token  of  the  state  of 
slavery  to  which  they  had  been  reduced.  The  four 
sons   of  Zayn   ul-Muluk   had   no   alternative   but  to 

1  This  incident  is  common  to  folk-tales  almost  everywhere  : 
sometimes  it  is  a  bird  who  gives  the  hero  one  of  his  feathers, 
which  serves  the  same  purpose. 


270  THE   ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

submit  to  be  thus  branded ;  but  when  they  had  with- 
drawn Taj  ul-Muliik  ordered  each  of  them  to  be  given 
a  dress  of  honour  and  a  lakh  of  rupis  to  defray  the 
expenses  of  their  journey,  and  then  they  set  out  for 
their  native  land.  He  then  sent  away  Dilbar  and 
Mahmuda,  directing  them  to  wait  for  him  in  a  certain 
city,  and  himself  secretly  followed  his  brothers  in  order 
to  discover  their  intentions. 

Taj  ul-Muluk  stopped  at  the  same  inn  as  his 
brothers,  and,  concealed  in  a  corner  of  the  room, 
he  heard  their  boasting  and  falsehood  with  reference 
to  the  Rose  of  Bakawali.  He  waited  patiently  for 
some  time,  but  at  last  could  endure  it  no  longer, 
and  drawing  near  them  he  said  to  others  who  were 
present:  "What  these  men  say  is  false;  for  I  alone 
possess  the  Rose  of  Bakawali,  and  can  show  it  to 
you."  Then  untying  his  girdle  he  drew  from  it  the 
flower  and  exhibited  it  to  the  impostors,  who  in  fury 
snatched  it  from  him  saying :  "  Let  us  see  if  you 
speak  the  truth ;  for  if  you  deceive  us  we  shall  make 
you  pay  dearly  for  it."  They  caused  a  blind  man 
to  be  brought  in,  applied  the  rose  to  his  eyes,  and 
instantly  his  sight  was  restored.  Their  astonishment 
and  confusion  were  unbounded,  but  they  not  only 
refused  to  return  the  flower  to  Taj  ul-Mukik,  but 
showered  blows  upon  him  and  chased  him  from  their 
presence.  Then  they  joyfully  continued  their  journey, 
and  on  reaching  the  confines  of  their  country  they 
sent   a   messenger    before    them    to    announce   their 


THE  KING'S  SIGHT  RESTORED.  271 

return.  This  news  filled  the  good  king,  their  father, 
with  joy.  To  do  them  honour,  he  made  a  journey 
of  several  days  to  meet  them.  ^  Zayn  ul-Muluk 
embraced  his  four  sons  and  kissed  them  affectionately. 
On  their  part,  they  gave  him  the  Rose  of  Bakawali, 
which  when  he  placed  to  his  eyes  rendered  them  as 
bright  as  the  stars.  He  then  offered  thanks  to  God 
that  he  had  recovered  his  sight  by  means  of  the 
flower,  and  in  celebration  of  the  happy  event  ordered 
all  his  subjects,  rich  and  poor,  to  keep  open  for  a 
whole  year  the  door  of  joy  and  pleasure,  and  to  close 
the  door  of  sadness  and  sorrow. 

1  This  was  a  ver}'  unusual  condescension  on  the  part  of  the 
monarch,  even  though  in  honour  of  his  own  sons.  The  common 
practice  (in  Persia)  is  for  the  shah  to  send  a  deputation  the 
distance  of  two  days'  journey  to  meet  and  welcome  any  dis- 
tinguished visitors.  The  deputation  is  called  istikbdl,  and  those 
sent,  pish  vdz,  openers  of  the  way.  A  day's  journey  is  twenty 
miles. 


272  THE   ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

BAKAWALI,  ON  AWAKING,  DISCOVERS  THAT  HER  ROSE  HAS  BEEN 
STOLEN,  SETS  OUT  IN  SEARCH  OF  THE  THIEF  DISGUISED  AS  A 
MAN,  AND  TAKES  SERVICE  WITH  THE  PRINCE'S  FATHER,  THE 
KING  OF  THE  EAST — THE  FAIRIES  BUILD  A  GRAND  PALACE 
FOR  THE  PRINCE,  LIKE  THAT  OF  BAKAWALI — THE  KING  HEARS 
OF  THE  NEW  PALACE  —  STORY  OF  THE  PRINCESS  AND  THE 
DEMON  WHO  EXCHANGED  SEXES — THE  PRINCE'S  FATHER  AND 
BRETHREN,  WITH  BAKAWALI  (DISGUISED),  VISIT  HIM  AT  HIS 
PALACE,    AND   HE   DISCLOSES   HIMSELF. 

Let  us  now  return  to  Bakawali,  whom  we  left  asleep 
on  her  beautiful  couch.  When  she  awoke  she  fastened 
her  bodice,  put  her  dress  in  order,  drew  the  comb 
through  her  hair,  and  went  to  the  lake  where  grew  her 
cherished  Rose.  On  reaching  the  bank  she  discovered 
that  the  precious  flower  was  gone,  and  at  the  same 
moment  perceived  that  she  wore  a  different  ring  from 
her  own.  "O  Heaven  !"  cried  she,  "is  it  a  dream  or 
the  effect  of  magic  ?  But  no ;  only  a  man  could  have 
done  this  deed,  for  none  but  a  human  being  could 
elude  the  vigilance  of  the  di'vs.  None  is  equal  to  thee 
in  daring,  and  an  ordinary  man  I  am  sure  thou  art 
not.  Gold  and  silver  are  stolen  by  thieves  ;  but  thou 
art  not  a  common  robber.  If  I  could  but  see  thee  I 
would  lay  thy  hands  on  my  eyes  and  kiss  them  over 
and  over.  Thou  hast  made  a  mine  in  my  bosom  and 
stolen  away  my  heart.  To  thy  satisfaction  thou  hast 
not  seen  me ;  but  I  doubt  not  thou  hast  feasted  thy 
eyes  with  a  sight  of  these  lips,  and  who  knows,  but 


BAKAWALI  IN   THE  EAST  COUNTRY.       273 

thou  mayest  have  tasted  the  honey  therefrom  ?  Thou 
hast  stolen  the  gold,  and  the  casket  only  is  here." 
Bakawali  then  returned  into  her  palace  and  sum- 
moned her  attendants  in  order  to  have  them  punished 
for  their  carelessness,  forgetting  the  maxim  that  "when 
the  arrow  of  Fate  is  shot  none  can  arrest  it  with  the 
shield  of  prudence,"  and  said  to  them  :  "  If  you  wish 
to  live,  bring  the  thief  to  me  immediately."  They  did 
as  desired,  but  no  trace  whatever  of  the  thief  could 
be  found.  Bakawali  resolved  to  go  herself  in  quest 
of  him.  Rendering  herself  invisible  to  all  eyes,  she 
reached  the  capital  of  Zayn  ul-Muliik,  where  she 
beheld  everywhere  preparations  being  made  for  a 
festival,  and  heard  on  all  sides  the  sound  of  musical 
instruments.  Curious  to  know  the  cause  of  these 
rejoicings,  she  assumed  the  form  of  a  young  man, 
and  inquired  of  the  first  person  she  met :  "  What  is 
the  reason  of  the  mirth  which  prevails  among  the 
inhabitants  of  this  city  ?  "  "  The  king,"  replied  the 
citizen,  "  was  blind ;  but  his  sons,  after  searching  a 
long  time  and  coming  through  unheard-of  trials,  have 
at  last  succeeded  in  obtaining  the  Rose  of  Bakawali, 
which  has  restored  his  sight.  On  this  account  the 
padishah  has  ordered  that  every  one  should  give 
himself  up  to  pleasure  for  a  year,  and  that  the  sound 
of  the  Jiauhat^  should  everywhere  be  heard." 

Bakawali,  delighted  to  hear  tidings,  at  least,  of  her 
Rose,  was  in  hopes  of  soon  discovering  the  person  who 

1  Kettle-drum. 


274  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

had  stolen  it  from  her.  Returning  to  the  bank  of  the 
river,  she  bathed  in  order  to  refresh  herself  after  the 
fatigue  of  her  journey,  and  having  dressed,  she  pro- 
ceeded to  the  royal  palace.  She  was  introduced  to 
Zayn  ul-Muluk,  who  inquired  of  her  who  she  was,  and 
whence  and  why  she  had  come.  Bakawali  answered 
thus,  very  composedly:  "Your  slave  comes  from  the 
country  of  the  west  which  is  called  Farrukh.  ^  I  have 
left  my  home  in  the  hope  of  entering  the  service  of 
your  majesty,  and  I  venture  to  express  the  wish  that 
I  may  be  admitted  among  the  number  of  ofificers 
attached  to  your  royal  person."  "  I  accept  your 
services,"  said  the  king;  "remain  with  me."  For 
some  time  Bakawali  performed  her  new  duties,  till 
one  day  the  four  sons  of  the  king  presented  them- 
selves at  court.  Zayn  ul-Muliik,  according  to  his 
custom,  received  them  most  affectionately,  pressed 
them  to  his  bosom,  kissed  their  heads  and  eyes,  and 
made  them  sit  beside  himself.  Bakc4wali  asked  an 
attendant  who  these  personages  were,  and  was  in- 
formed that  they  were  the  king's  own  sons.  Then 
with  the  touch-stone  of  discernment  she  tested  the 
gold  of  their  countenances,  and  felt  convinced  that  it 
was  not  pure.  "  Has  the  king  no  other  son,"  she 
inquired,  "  who  went  with  these  in  search  of  the 
Rose  of  Bakawali?"     " He  has  not,"  was  the  answer.'^ 

1  "  Happy." 

^Similar  question  and   answer  occur  in  the  story  of  "  The 
Sultan  of  Yaman  and  his  Three  Sons,"  one  of  the  tales  translated 


THE  PRINCE  SUMMONS  HAMMALA.         275 

The  fairy  princess  loved  him  who  had  taken  pos- 
session of  her  ring,  and  her  heart  told  her  that  he  was 
of  a  quite  different  stamp  from  these  four  sons  of 
Zayn  ul-Muliik.  In  despair,  that  after  so  many  diffi- 
culties she  had  discovered  traces  of  her  Rose,  but  still 
could  not  find  out  the  one  who  had  plucked  it,  she 
cursed  the  fate  which  had  sported  with  her  prudent 
devices,  and  remained  convinced  that  these  princes 
had  not  plucked  the  Rose  and  that  the  king  had 
another  son.  So  she  resolved  to  be  patient  and  see 
what  should  come  from  behind  the  veil  of  mystery. 

When  the  four  wicked  brothers  of  Taj  ul-Muluk  had 
deprived  him  of  the  Rose  of  Bakawali  he  was  at  first 
confounded,  but  soon  afterwards  followed  them,  and 
when  he  arrived  at  the  frontiers  of  his  father's  countr)', 
and  found  himself  in  a  dense  jungle  full  of  wild 
beasts,  he  recollected  the  hair  which  Hammala  had 
given  him,  and  placed  it  on  a  fire  which  he  lighted  by 
means  of  a  flint.  There  was  not  a  quarter  of  it  burnt 
when  the  fairy  presented  herself  before  him,  accom- 
panied by  a  thousand  divs,  and  asked  him  in  what  way 
she  could  be  of  service  to  him.  The  prince,  after 
apologising  for  the  liberty  he  had  taken  in  summon- 
ing her,  replied  that  he  wished  to  have,  then  and  in 

by  Jonathan  Scott  from  the  Wortley-Montague  MS.  text  of  the 
Alf  Layla  xva  Layla,  or  Thousand  and'  One  Nights,  which  are 
comprised  in  the  sixth  vol.  of  his  edition  of  the  Aj-alnan  Nights 
Etitertaimnents,  p.  81. 


276  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

that  spot,  a  palace  equal  to  that  of  Bakawali,  upon 
which  the  fairy  despatched  some  of  her  followers  to 
the  four  corners  of  the  earth,  to  fetch  the  rubies  of 
Badakshan,  the  carnelians  of  Yaman,  and  abundance 
of  gold  and  silver  and  all  kinds  of  precious  stones. 
Within  three  days  the  divs  returned  laden  with  treas- 
ures and  at  once  began  to  erect  a  palace  as  instructed 
by  the  shah-zada.  It  was  soon  finished,  and  one 
would  have  said  that  it  was  actually  the  palace  of 
Bakawali.  One  fourth  of  the  precious  stones  brought 
by  the  di'vs  could  not  be  used  and  were  deposited 
in  the  treasury  of  the  palace.  When  all  was  ready, 
Hammala  reminded  the  prince  that  what  she  had 
just  done  for  him  was  on  account  of  her  love  for 
Mahmuda,  and  counselled  him  never  to  soil  with  the 
dust  of  sorrow  the  robe  of  that  damsel,  and  then 
departed. 

Taj  ul-Muluk  proceeded  in  great  state  to  seek 
Dilbar  and  Mahmuda  at  the  place  where  they  were 
to  wait  for  him.  He  provided  them  with  palanki'ns, 
which  were  decorated  with  priceless  gems  and  beauti- 
ful brocaded  curtains,  and  preceded  by  slaves  on 
horseback,  carrying  sticks  of  gold  and  silver  in  their 
hands.  In  this  manner  did  he  bring  them  to  his 
palace,  where  they  passed  the  time  very  agreeably. 

One  day,  as  a  slave  of  the  prince,  named  Sa'id,  was 
strolling  through  the  forest  he  came  upon  some  wood- 
cutters, and  asked  them  whither  they  were  carrying 
the  faggots  they  had  prepared.     "  We  are,"  said  they, 


THE  PRINCE'S  SPLENDID  PALACE.  277 

"  men  of  the  east  country,  and  it  is  by  the  sale  of 
our  wood  that  we  support  our  famiUes."  The  slave 
desired  them  to  convey  their  burdens  to  the  house 
of  his  master,  promising  they  should  be  richly  recom 
pensed.  The  men  answered  that  they  had  never  seen 
any  sign  of  a  habitation  in  that  forest.  "Follow  me," 
said  the  slave,  "and  you  will  soon  be  convinced  I 
speak  the  truth,  and  that  my  master's  house  is  not  far 
distant."  The  woodcutters  complied  in  the  hope  of 
gain,  and  soon  arrived  near  the  palace  of  Taj  ul- 
Muluk.  As  the  precious  stones  of  which  its  walls 
were  built  reflected  the  rays  of  the  sun,  they  thought 
it  was  a  great  fire.  "May  God  preserve  us,"  they 
cried,  "from  the  devil,  who  has  been  stoned!^  We 
will  not  go  a  step  farther."  "  Calm  yourselves," 
replied  Sa'id ;  "  what  you  see  is  not  fire,  but  the 
brilliancy  of  the  stones  which  cover  the  walls.  Con- 
tinue to  follow  me,  and  fear  nothing."  \\'hen  they 
reached  the  palace,  Sa'i'd  brought  them  before  Taj  ul- 
Muluk,  who  received  them  with  great  kindness,  and 
gave  to  each  a  handful  of  pearls  and  precious  stones, 
saying  to  them  that  if  they  would  come  and  stay  with 
him  he  would  give  them  every  day  twice  as  much  as 
they  had  just  received.  So  they  left  their  own  country 
and  settled  there.     The  news  spread  far  and  wide, 

1  According  to  Muslim  ideas,  the  shooting  stars  are  stones 
flung  at  demons  who  approach  the  portals  of  heaven  to  hsten  to 
the  divine  communications;  and  Satan  is  "stoned"  ever)'  year 
by  the  pilgrims  at  Makka — for  which  see  Burton's  Pilgrimage 
to  jMeccah  and  Medinah. 


278  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

and  many  others  followed  the  example  of  the  wood- 
men, and  those  who  went  remained  in  this  new  city. 
Every  day  the  KutwaP  was  complaining  to  the 
minister  of  Zayn  ul-Muluk  of  the  migration  of  his 
subjects,  and  how  even  in  one  night  a  thousand  had 
quitted  the  capital.  The  minister  inquired  whither 
they  had  gone.  "  I  have  heard,"  said  the  kutwal, 
"that  in  a  forest  a  city  has  been  built  on  foundations 
of  gold,  and  that  a  palace  has  been  erected  which  is 
unequalled  in  earth.  The  generosity  of  the  king  of 
that  city  bids  fair  to  erase  the  name  of  Hatim-  from 
the  minds  of  the  people ;  and  such  is  the  fame  of  his 
justice  that  the  glory  of  Niishirvan  is  eclipsed.^  The 
minister  asked  :  "  How  can  a  man  do  what  is  beyond 
the  power  of  mortals  to  perform?"    "But  I  have  been 

1  Chief  of  police.  ^  See  note  on  p.  46. 

3  Nushirvan,  surnamed  'Adil,  or  the  Just  (the  Chosroes  of  the 
Greeks),  was  of  the  Sassanian  dynasty  of  ancient  Persian  kings, 
and  died,  after  a  very  prosperous  reign  of  48  years,  A.  i).  579. 
Muhammed  was  wont  to  boast  of  his  good  fortune  in  having 
been  born  during  the  reign  of  so  wise  and  just  a  prince.  His 
dying  injunctions  to  his  son  and  successor,  Hormuz,  are  thus 
recorded  Ijy  Sa'di  {Bustdn,  B.  i) :  "Be  thou  in  heart  the  guard- 
ian of  the  poor.  Be  not  in  bondage  to  thine  own  ease.  No  one 
will  live  in  comfort  in  thy  kingdom  if  thou  desirest  only  thine 
own  comfort  and  sayest,  'It  is  enough.'  He  will  receive  no 
praise  from  the  wise  who  passeth  his  nights  in  sleep  whilst  the 
wolf  is  amidst  his  flock.  Keep  watch  over  the  necessitous  poor  ; 
for  the  peasant  it  is  from  which  the  king  deriveth  his  throne. 
The  king  is  the  tree,  the  peasant  the  root  :  the  tree,  O  my  son, 
deriveth  its  strength  from  the  root." 


STOKY  OF   THE  EXCHANGED   SEXES.        279 

credibly  informed  of  it  many  times,"  said  the  kutwal. 
"  And  that  powerful  God  who  transformed  a  man  into 
a  woman  and  metamorphosed  a  woman  into  a  man 
can  also  bestow  wealth  (which  is  like  a  beautiful 
woman)  on  a  human  being.  Have  you  not  heard  of 
the  princess  who  borrowed  virility  from  a  div  and 
married  a  wife?"  "No,"  answered  the  vazir.  "At- 
tend then,"  said  the  kutwal : 

Story  of  the  Princess  and  the  Div  luho 
exchanged  sexes. 

In  ancient  times  there  lived  a  king,  who  had  a 
hundred  beautiful  girls  in  his  haram  yet  had  no 
issue  by  any  one  of  them.  At  length  one  of  them 
gave  birth  to  a  daughter,  and  afterwards  she  bore 
three  other  children,  but  every  time  a  female.  When 
she  was  pregnant  for  the  fourth  time  the  king  swore 
that  if  a  daughter  was  born  again  he  would  have  both 
the  child  and  the  mother  destroyed.  It  happened 
that  a  daughter  was  again  born ;  but  lovely  and  fairy- 
like was  the  infant.  The  mother,  anxious  to  preserve 
the  life  of  her  darling,  gave  out  that  it  was  a  son,  and 
prevailed  upon  the  astrologers  to  counsel  the  king  not 
to  see  the  child's  face  for  ten  years,  for  should  he  do 
so  harm  would  come  to  him,  and  the  father  agreed  to 
do  as  they  desired. 

When  the  girl  grew  up  in  years  and  understanding, 
and    the    prescribed    period    was    near    expiring,    the 


28o  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALL 

mother  explained  matters  to  her,  and  requested  her 
to  assume  the  garb  of  a  young  man  and  thus  appear 
before  the  king,  so  that  in  this  way  both  their  Hves 
might  be  preserved.  The  daughter  followed  her 
mother's  instructions,  and  in  due  course  she  was 
betrothed  to  the  daughter  of  another  monarch.  When 
the  wedding-day  approached,  the  king  caused  her  to 
be  clothed  in  rich  garments,  and,  placing  her  in  a 
golden  litter,  despatched  her  to  the  country  of  the 
bride.  The  girl  sometimes  wept  and  sometimes 
laughed  at  the  situation  in  which  she  was  placed. 
At  last  when  she  reached  a  dense  forest,  where  she 
had  occasion  to  stay  for  the  night,  she  could  bear  her 
shame  no  longer,  and  finding  life  nothing  less  than  a 
burden,  she  left  her  litter  secretly  and  wandered  far 
into  the  wood,  trusting  that  some  beast  of  prey  would 
destroy  her. 

After  roaming  about  for  some  time,  she  found 
herself  under  the  branches  of  a  tall,  umbrageous  tree, 
in  which  dwelt  a  div,  who  immediately  fell  in  love 
with  her  beauty.  In  the  shape  of  a  young  man  he 
appeared  to  her,  and  inquired  the  cause  of  her  distress. 
The  girl  told  her  story  frankly,  upon  which  the  heart 
of  the  div  melted,  and  he  offered  to  change  her  into 
a  man  and  himself  into  a  woman  for  a  short  time. 
She  consented  to  this,  and  the  transformation  took 
place  at  once,  after  which  she  took  her  leave,  with 
a  light  and  happy  heart,  and  rejoined  her  attendants 
unperceived  by  any  of  them.      In  a  few  days  more 


STORY  OF   THE  EXCHANGED  SEXES.        281 

they  reached  the  country  of  the  bride.  The  marriage 
was  consummated  and  the  old  king  returned  to  his 
own  country.  The  prince  who  was  originally  a  prin- 
cess remained  with  his  spouse  until  a  child  was  born 
to  him,  and  then  he  set  out  on  a  visit  to  his  father. 
In  passing  through  the  forest  he  sought  out  the  tree 
and  found  the  div  sitting  there  in  the  form  of  a 
woman.  "O  div,"  cried  the  prince,  "through  th}- 
favour  I  have  obtained  the  wish  of  my  heart.  Take 
back  your  virility  and  restore  my  womanhood  to  me." 
But  this  the  div  could  not  do,  as  in  the  form  of  a 
woman  he  had  fallen  in  love  with  another  div  and 
expected  soon  to  become  a  mother.  "Therefore,'" 
added  the  div,  "  do  thou  retain  thy  manhood :  I  am 
content  to  remain  a  woman. "^ 

The  kutwal  having  finished  his  story,  the  vazir  re- 
marked :  "God  is  great  and  powerful.  I  do  not 
doubt  this ;  but  how  a  man  can  act  so  miraculously  as 
you  say  the  ruler  of  that  new  city  has  done,  I  cannot 
understand.  Do  you,  however,  go  and  inspect  that 
wonderful  palace  and  bring  me  an  account  of  all  that 
you  see."  So  the  kutwal  at  once  proceeded  to  Mulk-i 
Nigharin,^  accompanied  by  a  large  body  of  cavaliers. 

1  Garcin  de  Tassy  omits  this  curious  story,  and  another  which 
immediately  follows  in  the  original  text,  related  by  the  vazir,  of 
the  Darvesh  and  the  Nightingale,  which  I  also  omit  here,  as  a 
much  better  version  will  be  found  among  the  Persian  .Stories 
which  follow  the  present  romance. 

2  "Beautiful  kingdom." 


282  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

Taj  ul-Muliik,  on  hearing  of  his  approach,  ordered  all 
the  ponds  to  be  filled  and  the  fountains  to  be  set 
playing,  and  that  he  should  be  received  in  the  ruby- 
room.  When  the  prince  graced  the  throne  with  his 
presence  the  kutwal  rose,  made  his  obeisance  to  him, 
and  spoke  as  follows :  "  The  news  of  your  residence 
in  this  jungle,  where  you  have  a  palace  and  a  city, 
has  reached  the  ears  of  the  king,  my  master,  who  has 
sent  me  to  verify  the  fact.  Now  permit  me  to  ex- 
plain to  you  that  if  you  wish  to  remain  independent, 
you  must  quit  this  place  without  delay.  If  not,  you 
must  put  your  neck  in  the  collar  of  submission  and 
present  yourself  at  the  court  of  the  king,  for  one 
scabbard  cannot  hold  two  swords  nor  one  country  be 
governed  by  two  sovereigns."  "It  is  true,"  replied 
Taj  ul-Muluk,  "that  I  have  constructed  buildings  in 
a  place  inhabited  by  wild  beasts,  but  I  am  only 
occupied  here  in  the  service  of  the  Most  High, 
and  I  do  not  covet  sovereignty,  but  wish  to  be  re- 
garded as  friendly  towards  your  king."  The  kutwal, 
satisfied  with  this  declaration,  returned  to  the  vazir 
and  related  to  him  all  that  he  had  seen  and  heard, 
whereupon  the  vazir  communicated  it  to  Zayn  ul- 
Muliik.  The  fairy  Bakawali,  who  was  still  in  the 
king's  service,  heard  the  news  with  joy :  she  now 
beheld  the  Aurora  of  hope  emerge  from  the  night 
of  despair. 

Meanwhile  Zayn  ul-Muluk  bent  his  head  for  some 
time  in  the  collar  of  reflection,  then  expressed  his  fear 


A  ROYAL  OFFICER   VISITS  THE  PRINCE.     283 

that  this  new  city  might  one  day  be  the  ruin  of  his 
kingdom.  But  the  vazi'r  represented  to  him  that  it 
was  a  maxim  of  the  sages,  that  discretion  should  be 
practised  towards  an  enemy  who  could  not  be  con- 
quered, and  therefore  he  recommended  that  the  king 
should  enter  into  an  allegiance  with  the  stranger.  "  I 
consent,"  replied  the  monarch;  "and,  as  no  one  can 
arrange  this  affair  so  well  as  yourself,  do  you  go,  and 
kill  the  serpent  without  breaking  the  stick."  ^  The 
sagacious  vazir  accordingly  went  in  great  state  to  visit 
Taj  ul-Muluk,  and  was  accorded  a  reception  suited  to 
his  exalted  rank.  "  You  have  already  received  a  visit 
of  a  servant  of  my  master,  the  king,"  said  the  vazir. 
"  He  has  spoken  so  highly  of  your  qualities  that  the 
anger  which  had  become  kindled  in  the  heart  of  the 
padishah,  on  hearing  of  your  settlement  here,  has  been 
extinguished,  and  he  purposes  himself  paying  you  a 
visit.  What  can  be  better  than  a  union  of  two  rivers 
of  goodness  and  generosity?"  Taj  ul-Muluk  replied: 
"I  accept  with  great  pleasure  the  message  which  you 
bring  me  on  the  part  of  your  royal  master.  I  ought  to 
have  made  the  first  advance,  for  the  king's  wish  which 
you  have  conveyed  to  me  is  also  my  own."  It  was 
then  arranged  that  the  king  should  come  in  a  week, 
and,  after  the  vazir  had  dined  with  Taj  ul-Muluk  in 

1  In  other  words  :  "  Succeed  in  this  affair  without  compromis- 
ing my  dignity  ;  according  to  the  proverlj,  '  Take  care  while 
shunning  one  evil  of  falling  into  another.'" — See  Roebuck's 
Persian  and  Hindustani  Proverbs^  part  ii,   p.    1 18. 


284  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

the  most  sumptuous  manner,  he  returned  and  gave 
his  master  a  faithful  account  of  his  interview  and  the 
wonders  of  the  new  city. 

That  very  night  the  shah-zada  placed  Hammala's 
hair  on  the  fire,  and  immediately  she  appeared  with  a 
thousand  divs.  Mahmiida  rose  to  greet  her  mother, 
who  kissed  and  embraced  both  her  children,  and 
inquired  if  they  were  in  health.  Taj  ul-Muluk  an- 
swered :  "  In  your  safety  is  our  happiness  and  all  our 
wants  are  supplied.  But  in  eight  days  the  king  of 
the  East  will  visit  me,  and  I  wish  you  to  cause  carpets 
of  wool  and  red  and  green  velvet  to  be  spread  on  the 
ground  from  my  palace  to  his,  and  erect  at  the  dis- 
tance of  every  two  miles  tents  made  of  fine  ermine, 
with  strings  of  gold  texture,  screens  of  satin  and 
brocade,  and  hooks  of  gold  and  silver.  These  tents 
must  be  so  numerous  that  every  attendant  of  the  king 
may  be  accommodated  separately."  Hammala  gave 
the  necessary  orders  to  her  followers  and  returned  to 
her  own  country. 

On  the  day  appointed,  the  king  set  out  to  visit 
Taj  ul-Muluk,  mounted  on  an  elephant,  in  an  ajiidri^ 
of  gold,  accompanied  by  his  ministers  and  a  great 
number  of  cavaliers.  The  four  sons  of  the  king, 
mounted  on  their  own  elephants,  were  also  of  the 
party,  while  Bakawali  attended  as  an  officer  of  the 
royal  household.    Taj  ul-Muldk  went  one  day's  march 

1  The  canopy  of  a  howdah,  or  chair  for  riding  on  an  elephant, 
called  Jiaitda-ainari — canopied  howdah. 


THE  KING   VISITS   THE  PRINCE.  285 

to  meet  his  father.^  He  paid  his  respects  to  him  and 
led  him  with  joy  to  his  palace,  and  made  him  sit  down 
in  the  room  of  emeralds.  The  king  was  so  astonished 
that  he  fell  into  a  kind  of  stupor.  Bakawali,  on  her 
pait,  almost  lost  her  reason,  when  she  beheld  the 
prince.  His  handsome  features  pointed  him  out  to 
her  as  the  stealer  of  her  Rose,  and  she  was  confirmed 
in  this  when  she  recognised  that  the  palace  was  an 
exact  copy  of  her  own,  for  she  felt  sure  that  he  who 
had  designed  it  had  seen  the  original.  She  wished  at 
once  to  make  herself  known,  but  her  natural  timidity 
restrained  her,  and  she  resolved  to  wait  patiently  for 
a  favourable  opportunity  to  accomplish  her  purpose. 
Meanwhile  a  splendid  feast  was  spread  out,  and  music 
and  song  diffused  pleasure  over  all.  When  every 
amusement  was  over,  the  king  and  Taj  ul-Muluk 
began  to  converse,  and  the  prince  inquired  how  many 
sons  he  had.  The  king  pointed  to  the  four  princes 
and  said  that  these  were  his  only  children.  "  I  had 
one  more,"  he  added,  "by  gazing  on  whose  counten- 
ance I  lost  my  eyesight.  Thanks  be  to  God  that  I 
have  regained  it  now ;  but  there  is  no  knowing  where 
that  child  has  gone."  Taj  ul-Muluk  asked  how  it  was 
that  the  prince  had  turned  away  his  face  from  duty 
and  left  his  father's  house,  and  farther  inquired  whether 
any  one  in  the  company  would  be  able  to  recognise 
him.  On  this  Zayn  ul-Muluk  gave  a  detailed  account 
of  the  birth  of  the  lost  prince  as  well  as  a  history  of 

1  See  note  on  page  271. 


286  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAIVALI. 

his  own  blindness.  He  then  pointed  out  one  of  his 
vazi'rs,  who,  he  said,  might  be  able  to  identify  him. 
The  prince  turned  towards  him  and  inquired  whether 
among  all  present  he  saw  any  one  who  bore  a  resem- 
blance to  Taj  ul-Muluk.  The  old  and  experienced 
man,  after  gazing  steadfastly  in  the  countenance  of  the 
speaker,  replied  that  none  but  the  prince  himself  pre- 
sented any  likeness  to  that  person. 

Hardly  were  these  words  uttered  than  Taj  ul-Muliik 
threw  himself  at  the  feet  of  his  father,  exclaiming : 
"  I  am  that  unfortunate  son,  who  has  wandered  so 
long  from  your  court  in  consequence  of  an  adverse 
destiny  and  my  sorrowful  horoscope.  Blessed  be  God 
who  has  at  last  permitted  me  to  behold  your  venerable 
face  and  embrace  your  knees  ! "  The  king,  deeply 
moved,  pressed  his  young  son  to  his  bosom  ;  then  he 
returned  thanks  to  God,  saying  to  Taj  ul-Muliik  that 
the  astrologers  who  were  consulted  at  his  birth  had 
predicted  his  present  illustrious  condition'.  "But  tell 
me,  dear  son,"  he  continued,  "have  you  remained 
free  till  now,  like  the  cypress,  without  uniting  yourself 
to  some  beautiful  lady  ? "  The  prince  replied  :  "  I 
have  two  wives,  whom  I  shall  have  the  honour  to 
present  to  your  majesty,"  and  at  once  he  went  into 
the  women's  apartments  and  led  out  Dilbar  and 
Mahmiida,  who,  however,  stopped  at  the  threshold 
of  the  hall  and  would  not  advance  forther.  ^rhe  king 
impatiently  exclaimed  :  "  Why  do  they  not  come  near 
me,   that   my  eyes   may   be   illumined   and   my  heart 


THE  FOUR  BROTHERS  DISGRACED.         2S7 

delighted  by  beholding  them?"  The  prince  answered: 
"  My  sovereign,  it  is  shame  that  restrains  them.  The 
four  princes,  your  sons,  were  once  in  bondage  to  one 
of  them,  and  bear  the  tokens  on  their  backs.  If  you 
have  any  doubt  of  this,  you  can  satisfy  yourself"  At 
these  words  the  pallor  of  confusion  overspread  the 
faces  of  the  four  princes,  who  immediately  retired, 
fearing  to  be  disgraced  in  public.^  Then  the  wives 
of  Taj  ul-Muluk  were  introduced  to  the  king,  and 
the  prince  related  their  history ;  ho\V  he  bore  away 
the  flower  from  the  garden  of  Bakawali  and  saw  her 
asleep  in  all  her  beauty ;  how  his  brothers  had  de- 
prived him  of  the  flower ;  and  how  he  had  built  his 
palace  in  the  forest.  Zayn  ul-Muluk  immediately 
thought  of  the  mother  of  his  son.  "You,"  said  he, 
addressing  the  prince,  "  have  restored  my  eyesight  and 
opened  the  gates  of  joy  to  me.     It  is  now  incumbent 

1  This  recalls  an  incident  in  the  Indian  storj'  of  the  virtuous 
Devasmita,  who  entraps  four  suitors,  during  her  husband's 
absence  on  a  trading  journey,  who  visit  her  in  succession,  and, 
while  they  are  insensible  from  the  effects  of  a  narcotic  mixed 
with  their  wine,  causes  each  to  be  branded  on  the  forehead  with 
a  hot  iron.  The  suitors  return  to  their  own  country,  where  the 
lady's  husband  is  residing  for  a  time,  and  Devasmita  soon  after 
sets  out  thither,  disguised  as  a  man,  where  she  claims  all  four  as 
her  slaves  in  presence  of  the  king,  causing  them  to  remove  their 
head-gear  and  expose  the  brands;  and  she  "lets  them  off"  on 
payment  of  a  large  sum  of  money. — (Tawney's  translation  of  the 
Kathd  Sarit  Siigara :  Ocean  of  the  Streams  of  Story,  vol.  i, 
pp.  85-92.) — Henceforward  the  four  rascally  brothers  of  Taj  ul- 
Muliik  are,  as  the  Icelandic  story-tellers  say,  "out  of  this  talc." 


288  THE   ROSE    OF  BAKAWALL 

on  me  to  communicate  the  happy  tidings  to  your 
mother,  and  reheve  her  from  the  pains  of  absence,  by 
restoring  her  long-lost  son  to  her."  He  then  arose  to 
depart ;  and  the  same  night  he  paid  a  visit  to  Taj  ul- 
Muliik's  mother,  begged  a  thousand  pardons  for  all 
that  he  had  done  to  her,  and  informed  her  of  the 
return  of  her  son. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BAKAWALI  RETURNS  TO  HER  OWN  COUNTRY,  AND  THERE 
WRITES  A  LOVE-LETTER  TO  THE  PRINCE,  WHO  SETS  OUT 
TO  VISIT  HER— THE  MOTHER  OF  BAKAWALI  DISCOVERS 
THAT  HER  DAUGHTER  IS  IN  LOVE  WITH  A  HUMAN  BEING, 
TOSSES  THE  PRINCE  HIGH  UP  INTO  THE  AIR  AND  IMPRISONS 
BAKAWALI— THE  PRINCE  FALLS  INTO  A  RIVER,  EMERGES 
FROM  IT  IN  SAFETY,  OBTAINS  SEVERAL  MAGIC  ARTICLES,  IS 
CHANGED  INTO  A  YOUNG  WOMAN,  THEN  INTO  A  FOUL-VISAGED 
ABYSSINIAN,  AND  FINALLY  REGAINS  HIS  OWN  FORM. 

Bakawali,  who  had  heard  the  story  of  Taj  ul-Muhik, 
could  no  longer  doubt  but  that  he  was  the  ravisher  of 
her  Rose  and  her  ring.  And  when  the  king  had 
returned  to  his  capital  she  obtained  permission  to 
leave  his  service,  and  at  once  returned  to  her  own 
palace,  where  she  wrote  a  letter  to  her  well-beloved, 
with  her  ring,  and  entrusted  the  packet  to  a  fairy 
named  Saman-ru,'  who  was  her  confidante,  desiring 
her  to  deliver  it  to  Prince  Taj  ul-Muluk  when  she 
found  him  alone  and  free  from  the  cares  of  the  world. 

1  "  Jasmine-face." 


BAKAIVALI'S  LOVE-LETTER.  2S9 

The  fairy  spread  her  wings  and  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye  appeared  before  the  prince  and  deHvered  the 
letter  of  her  mistress.  The  prince  at  once  recog- 
nised the  ring,  opened  the  letter  with  the  greatest 
eagerness,  and  read  as  follows  : 

"  I  begin  in  the  name  of  God,  who  has  no  equal  in 
the  universe.  He  it  is  who  placed  the  stars  in  the 
heavens  and  created  both  genii  and  men.  To  the 
fairy  he  has  given  beauty  ;  and  yet  has  he  granted 
superiority  to  men  over  fairies,  for  even  they  are 
struck  by  the  darts  of  love.  Cast  but  thy  eyes  on  the 
countenance  of  Layla,  and  she  will  become  Majniin 
for  thee.  And  if  the  reflex  of  thy  beauty  shine  on 
Shiri'n,  she  will  become  her  own  Farhad.^  The  sun 
and  the  atoms  that  dance  in  his  beams  are  equally 
enamoured  of  thee.  The  light  of  love  thou  hast 
lightened,  and  like  a  moth  is  burned  in  the  flame. 

"After  my  compliments  to  thee,  O  king  of  beauty 
and  grace,  let  me  tell  thee  that  the  arrows  which 
sprang  from  the  bows  of  thine  eyebrows  have  wounded 
my  heart  to  its  core ;  and  thy  raven  locks,  descending 
luxuriantly,  have  enchained  and  enfettered  me.  Love 
has  triumphed  over  me ;  he  is  my  master  both  ex- 
ternally and  internally.     It  is  wrong  to  think  that  one 

1  Shirin  was  the  beautiful  wife  of  Khusrau  Parviz,  king  of 
Persia,  and  Farhad,  a  famous  sculptor,  was  madly  enamoured  of 
her.  All  the  sculptures  on  the  mountain  of  Bistan  are  ascribed 
to  Farhad's  chisel.  According  to  the  popular  tradition,  King 
Parviz  promised  that  if  he  cut  through  the  rock  and  brought  a 

U 


290  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

heart  is  apprised  of  the  feehngs  of  another ;  but  here 
am  I  burning,  suffering,  and  no  impression  is  made 
on  thee.  Without  thee,  my  house  is  a  scene  of  woe, 
and  even  heaven  is  hell.  I  am  panting  for  the  life- 
bestowing  elixir  of  thy  kisses.  Thy  love  has  deprived 
me  of  my  heart ;  I  should  not  wonder  if  I  find  no 
portion  of  it  within  my  breast.  Do  thou  accept  my 
virgin  love  !  Thou  art  the  river,  and  I  am  dying  of 
thirst ;  come  at  once  and  slake  it.  If  you  come  not, 
I  shall  die  of  a  broken  heart ;  but  on  rising  at  the  day 
of  resurrection,  I  shall  call  thee  to  account.  What 
wilt  thou  answer  me  then,  when  I  ask  thee  why  thou 
didst  kill  me  ?  But  this  is  enough.  My  feelings  will 
be  apparent  from  this."^ 

stream  that  flowed  on  the  other  side  of  the  hill  into  the  valley 
the  lovely  Shirin  should  be  his  reward.  He  was  on  the  point  of 
completing  his  Herculean  labour  when  Khusrau  Parviz,  fearing 
to  lose  Shirin,  sent  an  old  woman  to  inform  him  that  she  was 
dead.  Farhad  was  then  at  the  highest  parts  of  the  rocks,  and  on 
hearing  this  false  report  in  despair  threw  himself  down  headlong, 
and  was  dashed  to  pieces.— The  story  of  Farhad  and  Shirin  is 
the  subject  of  several  beautiful  (often,  if  not  always,  mystical) 
Persian  and  Turkish  poems. 

1  G.  de  Tassy  remarks  that  "a  declaration  of  love  on  the  part 
of  a  woman,  and  especially  one  so  passionate,  is  not  according  to 
our  manners,  but  it  is  so  to  those  of  the  East ;  and  the  numerous 
Asiatic  stories  which  have  been  translated  into  European  lan- 
guages have  rendered  it  quite  familiar  to  us." — A  very  remark- 
able example  is  furnished  in  the  immortal  tale  of  Nala  and 
Damayanti  {Mahdbhdrata,  section  Ivi  of  the  "  Vana  Parva "), 
where  the  virtuous  and  beautiful  daughter  of  Vidharba  thus 
addresses  Nala  :    "  O  King,  love  me  with  proper  regard,  and 


THE  PRINCE'S  LOVE-LETTER.  291 

On  reading  Bakawali's  letter  the  fire  of  love  which 
was  concealed  in  the  heart  of  Taj  ul-Muliik  was 
fiercely  kindled.  Impatient  as  mercury,  he  wished  at 
once  to  behold  her  who  had  charmed  him  and  whom 
he  had  himself  inspired  with  love.  Meanwhile  he 
took  the  pen  in  his  hand  and  thus  replied  : 

"  O  thou,  who  knowest  well  how  to  burn  the  heart 
of  thy  lover,  the  whole  style  of  thy  letter  shows  that 
thou  art  fully  inclined  to  oppress  my  suffering  bosom. 
Thou  art  beautiful ;  thou  art  indeed  the  robber  that 
waits  for  his  prey  in  the  path  of  love.  Thine  eye- 
brows are  like  swords,  and  in  thine  eyes  lurk  enchant- 
ments and  lightnings  to  captivate  and  burn  the  soul. 
The  rose-bud  is  ashamed  before  thy  countenance,  and 
the  ruby  colourless  before  thy  lips.  I  am  an  atom  ; 
thou  art  the  sun  indeed.  O  thou  charming  beauty, 
and  lovelier  than  the  idols  of  China  !  ^  every  word  of 

command  me  what  I  shall  do  for  thee.  Myself  and  what  of 
wealth  is  mine  are  thine.  Grant  me,  O  exalted  one,  thy  love  in 
full  trust.  O  giver  of  the  proper  honour,  if  thou  forsake  me  who 
adore  thee,  for  thy  sake  will  I  resort  to  poison,  or  fire,  or  water, 
or  the  rope  !"  Bakawali  "  spared  her  maiden  blushes"  (if  she 
could  blush)  by  expressing  her  love  for  our  hero  in  writing ;  but 
Damayanti — all  truth  and  innocence — made  her  avowal  to  the 
god-like  king  of  the  Nishadhas  in  words  from  her  own  sweet 
mouth  :  and  who  would  not  be  enraptured  to  hear  such  a  soft 
confession  made  to  him  by  such  a  peerless  Queen  of  Beauty  ? 

1  Not  the  images  in  Chinese  temples,  which  are  described  by 
travellers  as  very  hideous,  but  the  beautiful  women  of  China. 
Persian  poets  often  term  pretty  girls  idols,  and  themselves  idola- 
lors,  for  worshipping  them. 


292  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

thy  letter  has  made  a  lasting  impression  on  my  heart. 
I  have  passed  my  nights  in  sighs  and  groans.  The 
impress  of  thy  countenance  will  never  be  erased  from 
the  tablet  of  my  memory.  As  long  as  the  moon  shall 
retain  her  light,  so  long  shall  my  heart  retain  th)' 
love.  Never  think  that  I  shall  forget  thee ;  not  for 
a  moment  shall  my  heart  lose  the  idea  of  thy  en- 
chanting charms.  Thy  name  fills  me  with  impatience. 
When  first  I  heard  it  I  undertook  to  endure  every 
trouble.  I  made  friendship  with  the  divs  to  induce 
them  to  convey  me  to  thy  fairy-land.  I  saw  thee, 
and  the  wound  of  my  heart  was  terribly  enlarged.  Is 
it  that  a  spark  from  my  heart  has  fallen  on  thine,  or 
has  the  lightning  of  desire  struck  thee  ?  Yet  I  ought 
not  to  confide  any  more  of  my  secrets  to  the  pen ; 
as  it  is  said  :  '  The  pen  should  not  be  admitted  into 
the  secrets  of  lovers.'     Enough  now." 

Taj  ul-Muliik  applied  to  this  letter,  as  a  seal,  his 
moist  eye  tinted  with  surma^  and  handed  it  to  Saman- 

1  Surma  is  the  black  ore  of  antimony,  or  ter-sulphide.  The 
Muslim  men  apply  antimony  to  their  eyelids,  but  their  women 
use  kolil,  or  lamp-lilack,  for  this  purpose.  It  is  a  popular  belief 
among  Indian  Muslims  that  the  finest  kind  of  sitruia  comes  from 
Arabia — from  the  hills  of  Sinai  or  Tur,  etc.  They  have  a 
legend  that  when  Moses  was  on  Mount  Sinai  he  asked  that 
the  glory  of  God  should  be  shown  to  him.  He  was  answered 
that  his  mortal  sight  could  not  bear  the  glory ;  but  through  a 
chink  of  the  rock  a  ray  of  light  was  allowed  to  fall  on  him, 
and  the  rock  on  which  the  ray  fell  was  melted  into  antimony. 
(Balfour's  Cyclopicdia  of  India.) — There  is  a  curious  legend 
current  in    the   I'anjalj  regarding   the   origin    of  the   antimony 


THE  FIRE    OF  LOVE.  293 

ru,  charging  the  fairy  to  say  many  things  from  him 
to  Bakawali  which  he  could  not  express  in  writing, 
and  the  fairy,  taking  her  leave,  soon  discharged  her 
commission. 

Vv'hen  Bakawali  saw  that  the  love  of  Taj  ul-Muliik 
was  still  more  violent  than  her  own,  and  that  union 
alone  could  calm  their  mutual  impatience,  she  sum- 
moned Hammala  at  once,  who  presently  appeared 
before  the  princess,  trembling  at  the  peremptory  com- 
mand like  the  willow  of  Egypt ;  but  finding  her  in 
tears,  she  expressed  her  concern.  '*  \\'retched  go- 
between,"  said  Bakawali,  in  anger,  "it  is  thou  who 
hast  kindled  the  fire  which  consumes  me  and  caused 
my  present  condition,  by  giving  to  thy  son-in-law  the 

which  is  found  on  the  summit  of  Mount  Karangli,  near  Find 
Dadan  Khan,  in  the  Jhelan  district.  A  fakir  (rehgious  mendi- 
cant) once  came  from  Kashmir  and  asked  the  name  of  the 
mountain,  and  was  told  that  it  was  called  Karangli.  He  at 
once  exclaimed:  '■^Karangli  sone  rangli!"  that  is,  Karangli 
the  gold-coloured  ;  whereupon  the  mountain  became  all  gold. 
This  frightened  the  good  people  of  the  neighbourhood,  who 
dreaded  that  the  place  should  become  a  general  battle-field  for 
the  sake  of  the  gold.  So  the  fakir  said:  "Karangli  sttrine 
)-anglt !"  that  is,  Karangli  the  antimony-coloured,  upon  which 
the  mountain  became  all  antimony.  This  antimony  is  now  to 
be  found  on  the  top  of  it,  h\x\.  as  it  is  surrounded  by  precipices 
the  antimony  cannot  be  reached,  and  so  the  people  have  to 
wait  until  pieces  of  it  are  washed  down  by  the  rains.  When 
procured  it  is  most  valuable,  and  will,  if  used  for  eight  days, 
restore  to  sight  all  those  who  have  become  blind  through 
sickness  or  accident.  It  cannot,  however,  cure  those  who  are 
born  blind. 


294  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

means  of  coming  here.  Wherefore,  in  order  to  repair 
thy  fault,  do  thou  bring  quickly  to  me  this  dearly 
beloved  being."  "  Is  it  for  such  a  trifle,"  replied 
Hammala,  with  a  smile,  "that  your  cheeks  are  wet 
and  your  beauty  disfigured  ?  Rise  and  wash  yourself, 
and  let  the  smile  return  to  your  lips,  for  I  will  at 
once  bring  Taj  ul-Muluk  to  you — nothing  is  easier." 
Swiftly  flew  Hammala  and  came  to  the  prince. 
"  Arise,  thou  moth,"  said  she  smilingly,  "  thy  candle 
invites  thee."  On  hearing  these  welcome  words  the 
prince  fell  at  her  feet.  Hammala  raised  him,  pressed 
him  in  her  arms,  and  placing  him  on  her  shoulder 
carried  him  to  the  realm  of  Bakawali. 

In  the  meantime  Jamila  Khatiin^  was  informed  that 
her  daughter  Bakawali  was  in  love  with  a  human 
being.  She  flew  into  a  violent  rage,  and  severely 
scolded  her,  saying  that  she  was  a  disgrace  to  the 
fairies.  Bakawali,  laying  her  fingers  on  her  ears, 
denied  the  assertion,  and  declared  that  she  was  still 
ignorant  of  the  meaning  of  love,  and  that  only  in  a 
dream  had  she  seen  a  human  being.  It  was  after 
this  scene  that  Hammala  arrived  with  the  prince, 
and  when  Saman-ru  came,  and  privately  informed 
Bakawali  that  her  lover  was  in  the  garden  ;  she  told 
her  to  keep  him  concealed  in  some  place  of  safety, 
as  she  had,  much  against  her  will,  to  remain  with  her 
mother  till  the  greater  part  of  the  night  was  past. 

1  "  Beautiful  Lady"—"  Lady  Beautiful." 


THE  LOVERS  IN  THE    GARDEN.  295 

Jamila  Khatiin  at  last  fell  asleep,  and  Bakawali 
arose  without  disturbing  her  mother,  and  with  pal- 
pitating bosom,  alternating  between  fear  and  desire, 
she  proceeded  to  the  place  where  her  lover  was 
hidden.  So  violent  were  the  feelings  of  Taj  ul- 
Muliik  on  beholding  Bakawali  that  he  swooned. 
She  ran  up  to  him,  and  placed  his  head  on  her 
knees,  when  her  sweet  breath  had  the  effect  of  the 
essence  of  roses  on  the  prince,  who  soon  recovered 
consciousness,  and  on  opening  his  eyes  and  seeing 
all  her  concern  for  him,  he  considered  himself  as 
the  personification  of  happiness.  Unfortunately, 
Jamila  Khatiin  awoke  about  the  middle  of  the  night 
and  arose ;  and,  seeing  the  garden  lit  up  by  the  rays 
of  the  moon,  walked  out  in  front  of  the  very  spot 
where  the  lovers  were  reposing  in  each  other's  arms, 
believing  themselves  in  perfect  security.  On  seeing 
them  the  flames  of  anger  broke  out  in  her  heart,  and 
taking  up  Taj  ul-Muluk  she  hurled  him  like  a  stone 
from  a  sling  into  the  regions  of  magic,  and  then 
slapped  Bakawali  until  the  hue  of  her  cheeks  was 
equal  to  that  of  the  reddest  tulip.  After  this  she 
conveyed  her  to  the  garden  of  I  ram,  the  residence 
of  her  father,  Firuz  Shc4h,^  to  whom  she  disclosed  all 
she  had  witnessed.  Firuz  Shah  appointed  a  number 
of  fairies  to  divert  his  daughter's  heart  from  human 
love.  But  in  vain  did  they  busy  themselves  with 
this  object  night  and  day  without  intermission  :    the 

1  "  Happy  King" — "  King  Prosperous." 


296  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALL 

more  they  spoke  the  more  she  loved  ;  the  more 
they  tried  to  extinguish  the  flame  the  more  it 
blazed.  They  saw  plainly  that  love  had  made  a 
home  in  her  heart,  so  at  last  they  told  Firuz  Shah 
that  all  their  efforts  were  of  no  avail,  and  he,  finding 
her  deaf  to  all  good  counsel,  threw  a  talismanic 
influence  over  her,  and  Bakawali  found  herself  con- 
fined in  golden  fetters. 

When  Jamila  Khatiin  had  hurled  Taj  ul-Muluk  up 
in  the  air,  he  fell  into  an  unknown  sea,  the  waves  of 
which  tossed  him  to  and  fro.  Now  like  a  pearl  he 
would  sink  to  the  bottom,  and  now  like  a  bubble  rise 
to  the  surface.  After  remaining  some  days  in  this  con- 
dition he  at  last  reached  the  shore  of  a  green  island  : 
so  true  it  is  that  even  death  cannot  lay  his  hand  on 
the  life  of  lovers.  The  heat  of  the  sun  reanimating 
his  body,  he  regained  his  strength  and  could  rise  up 
and  walk.  Eager  to  get  away  from  this  island,  he 
collected  the  branches  of  trees,  and  having  joined 
them  together  in  the  form  of  a  raft,  invoked  the  name 
of  God,^  cast  it  into  the  sea  and  placed  himself  on  it. 
After  drifting  on  the  sea  for  several  days  he  reached 
a  shore  which  skirted  a  frightful  desert.  At  night, 
through  fear  of  wild  beasts,  he  climbed  a  tree,  but  ere 
long  he  heard  a  rumbling  sound  on  the  south  side  of 
the  desert,  and  presently  perceived  a  monstrous  dragon 
approach  and  place  itself  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  into 
the  branches  of  which  he  had  climbed.     The  dragon 

1  See  note  I,  page  259. 


THE  HERO    OBTAINS  A   SNAKE- GEM.       297 

brought  from  its  mouth  a  serpent  which  emitted  a 
gem  so  brilliant  that  it  lighted  up  the  jungle  for  many 
miles.  The  wild  beasts  and  birds  came  to  dance 
before  the  dragon ;  they  were  soon  rendered  senseless 
and  all  devoured  by  the  monster,  after  which  the  ser- 
pent swallowed  the  gem  and  re-entered  the  mouth  of 
the  dragon,  who  departed  the  way  it  had  come.  The 
prince  wished  he  could  obtain  possession  of  the  gem, 
for  which  purpose  he  long  remained  in  thought,  devis- 
ing a  plan,  but  morning  dawned  before  he  came  to 
any  determination.  He  then  walked  towards  the 
shore  and  brought  away  from  there  a  heavy  lump  of 
clay.  In  the  evening  he  again  climbed  the  tree  and 
sat  patiently.  When  the  dragon  came  and  repeated 
the  scene  of  the  previous  evening,  the  prince  threw  the 
lump  of  clay  down  on  the  gem,  and  having  thus 
covered  it  the  whole  forest  was  plunged  into  darkness, 
so  that  the  dragon  and  the  serpent  knocked  their 
heads  against  the  stones  and  died.^     On  the  morrow 

1  In  a  Buddhist  work  entitled  IVicsakara-sataka  (a  hundred 
stanzas)  is  the  following:  "The  evil  man  is  to  be  avoided, 
though  he  be  arrayed  in  the  robe  of  all  the  sciences,  as  we  flee 
from  the  serpent,  though  it  be  adorned  with  the  kantJia  jewel.'" 
The  natives  of  Ceylon,  says  vSpence  Hardy,  believe  that  this  gem 
is  to  be  found  in  the  throat  of  the  7iayd.  "  It  emits  a  light  more 
brilliant  than  the  purest  diamond  ;  and  when  the  serpent  wishes 
to  discover  anything  in  the  dark  it  disgorges  the  substance, 
swallowing  it  again  when  its  work  is  done.  It  is  thought  pos- 
sible to  obtain  the  jewel  by  throwing  dust  upon  it  \vhen  out 
of  the  serpent's  mouth  ;  but  if  the  reptile  should  be  killed  to 
obtain  it,  misfortune  would  certainly  follow." — Easta-n  ^[on- 
achism,  p.  316.     (See  also  note,  ante,  p.  232.) 


298  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALL 

Taj  ul-Muluk  came  down  from  the  tree,  and  taking 
the  precious  gem  from  beneath  the  clay  placed  it  in 
his  girdle,  and  set  out  in  hopes  of  finding  some  in- 
habited spot.  He  walked  on  for  several  days  without 
success,  sleeping  at  night  among  the  branches  of  trees. 
It  happened  one  night,  as  he  had  secured  himself 
in  a  tree  where  a  i/iaina^  had  its  nest,  he  heard  the 
little  ones  ask  their  mother  what  treasures  there  were 
in  the  jungle.  She  replied:  "As  you  proceed  towards 
the  south  there  is  on  the  edge  of  a  lake  a  tree  of  enor- 
mous height.  Any  one  placing  a  piece  of  its  bark  on 
his  head  will  become  invisible  to  all,  while  everything 
is  visible  to  him  ;  but  no  person  can  go  to  that  tree, 
because  it  is  guarded  by  a  huge  dragon,  which  neither 
sword  nor  arrow  can  wound."  The  young  ones  in- 
quired :  "How,  then,  could  any  one  reach  there?" 
The  maina  answered  :  "  If  a  courageous  and  prudent 
man  should  go  to  the  border  of  the  lake,  he  must 
leap  into  it,  when  the  dragon  will  attack  him,  and 
he  will  be  changed  into  a  raven,  and  must  then  place 
himself  on  one  of  the  western  branches  of  that  tree, 
where  he  will  find  green  and  red  fruits.  Should  he 
eat  one  of  the  red  fruits,  he  will  regain  his  original 
form ;  and  by  eating  a  green  fruit  he  will  become 
invulnerable,  and  by  placing  one  in  his  girdle  he 
could  travel  through  the  air.  The  leaves  will  heal 
wounds,  and  its  wood  open  the  strongest  locks 
and  break  the  most   solid   bodies."      Taj   ul-Muliik 

1  A  kind  of  hill-starling. 


MAGICAL   FRUITS.  299 

listened  most  attentively  to  this  conversation,  and 
resolved  to  profit  by  it.^ 

In  the  morning  he  went  to  the  lake,  and  the  dragon 
darted  forth  to  attack  him.  The  prince  leaped  into  the 
water,  and  was  changed  into  a  raven  ;  then  flying  to 
the  tree,  he  ate  of  the  red  fruit,  and  recovering  his 
proper  form  plucked  some  green  fruits  and  placed 
them  in  his  girdle ;  of  one  of  the  branches  he  made 
a  staff,  and,  taking  some  of  the  healing  leaves  and  a 
piece  of  the  bark  sufficient  to  make  an  invisible  cap, 
he  flew  away.  He  soon  left  the  jungle  and  arrived 
at  an  inhabited  place.  He  cut  open  a  part  of  his 
thigh,  placed  the  gem  in  it,  and  by  aid  of  the  leaves 
healed  the  wound  in  a  moment. 

After  proceeding  a  short  distance  he  came  to  the 
marble  border  of  a  lake,  around  which  grew  the 
most  beautiful  flowers.  On  seeing  the  clear  and  cool 
water  he  felt  a  strong  desire  to  bathe  in  it,  so  he  at 
once  undressed  himself  and  dived  into  the  pond ;  but 

1  Our  hero  understood  bird-language,  and  the  author  has  prob- 
ably omitted  to  mention  that  he  acquired  that  knowledge  by 
possessing  the  snake-stone.  In  the  folk-tales  of  all  countries  we 
find  that  great  benefits  accrue  to  a  forlorn  hero  by  his  overhearing 
the  conversation  of  birds  or  beasts,  and  of  demons  in  Indian 
stories.  The  reader  will  find  much  to  interest  him  on  this  sub- 
ject in  an  able  paper  on  the  Language  of  Animals  by  Mr.  J.  G. 
Frazer  in  the  first  vol.  of  the  Arclucological  Review,  18SS  ;  and  I 
may  be  permitted  to  refer  him  also  to  my  Introduction  to  John 
Lane's  Continitation  of  Chancer''s  Sipiire^s  Tale,  published  for 
the  Chaucer  Society. 


300  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALL 


when  he  came  to  the  surface  again  he  saw  neither  the 
lake  nor  the  place  where  he  was  before,  but  found 
himself  near  a  strange  city,  and,  what  was  stranger  still, 
he  felt  that  he  was  no  longer  a  man,  but  metamorphosed 
into  a  beautiful  young  woman,  with  cheeks  like  the 
jasmine  flower.  Taj  ul-Muliik  was  greatly  concerned 
at  this  wonderful  change,  but  in  the  meantime  he  saw 
no  remedy  but  patience.  He  sat  down,  quite  ashamed, 
when  a  young  man,  passing  by,  saw,  as  he  supposed, 
the  features  of  a  hdri,  and  asked  by  what  accident  he 
came  there.  Taj  ul-Mukik  replied  :  "  My  father  was 
a  merchant,  and  it  was  his  custom  to  take  me  with 
him  on  his  trading  journeys.  We  came  into  this  forest 
with  a  caravan,  and  at  midnight  robbers  attacked  us, 
pillaged  all  our  goods,  and  killed  my  father  and  several 
others.  The  rest  fled,  and  I  only  am  left  in  the  midst 
of  this  solitude,  without  shelter,  or  strength  to  go 
farther."  "  If  you  take  me  as  your  husband,"  said  the 
young  man,  "  I  will  lead  you  to  my  house,  in  which 
you  may  rule  as  mistress."  ^V"ith  the  form  of  a  woman 
the  prince  was  also  endowed  with  her  nature^  and 
becoming  at  once  enamoured  of  the  youth  he  followed 
him  and  duly  became  his  wife.  In  coursi;  of  time  a 
son  was  born,  and  on  the  fortieth  day  he  went  to  bathe 
in  a  lake  which  was  near  the  house. ^  When  he  with- 
drew his  head  from  the  water,  he  saw  nothing  of  what 

1  The  transformed  prince  having  given  l)irth  to  a  child  was 
ceremonially  unclean  for  the  period  of  forty  days. — See  the  note 
on  ])p.  140,  141. 


WONDERFUL    TRANSFORMATIONS.  301 

surrounded  him  a  moment  before,  but  found  himself 
changed  into  a  young  Abyssinian.  Presently  a  hideous 
negress  appeared  before  him,  and  seizing  him  by  the 
girdle  exclaimed  :  "  O  man  without  feeling  !  for  three 
days  have  thy  children  suffered  from  hunger,  and  I 
have  never  ceased  searching  for  you  I  AVhere  hast 
thou  been  hiding  thyself?  But  never  mind — what  is 
done  is  done.  Come  now,  where  is  the  wood  which 
thou  hast  collected  ?  Ciive  it  to  me,  that  I  may  sell  it 
and  procure  food  for  our  starving  children."  "  Great 
God  ! "  cried  Taj  ul-Muluk,  turning  his  eyes  towards 
heaven,  "how  long  wilt  thou  keep  me  in  this  state  of 
affliction  ?  From  the  day  when  the  mother  of  Baka- 
wali  tossed  me  into  the  sea,  I  have  not  breathed  a 
single  moment  free  from  the  clutches  of  misfortune.'' 
In  short,  that  sable  hag  pulled  him,  nolens  volens,  to 
her  dwelling.  Arrived  there,  a  crowd  of  children  sur- 
rounded him,  crying  :  "Father  !  father  !  what  hast  thou 
brought  for  us  ?  "  Then  the  negress  gave  him  an  axe, 
and  told  him  to  go  into  the  forest  and  cut  some  wood 
for  the  support  of  his  family.  The  prince  quitted  the 
cottage,  and  as  he  went  along  called  to  mind  that  it 
was  by  plunging  into  a  lake  that  his  form  had  been 
twice  changed,  and  he  resolved  to  make  a  third  trial. 
Accordingly  he  dived  into  the  waters  of  the  first  lake 
on  his  way,  lifted  up  his  head,  and  found  himself 
restored  to  his  original  shape,  and  on  the  border  of 
the  lake  where  he  had  taken  his  first  plunge.  He 
returned  thanks  to  God,  and  determined  never  again 


302  THE   ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

to  bathe  in  any  lake.  His  magical  cap  and  stick  he 
found  lying  on  the  very  spot  where  he  had  placed 
them  before  leaping  into  the  lake  which  changed 
his  sex,  and  taking  them  up  he  departed  thence. 

My  friends,^  those  very  lakes  which  Taj  ul-MuWk 
should  have  avoided  are  the  pleasures  of  this  world, 
which,  like  the  mirage,  deceive  man.  It  was  not 
necessary  for  him  to  fill  his  pitcher  from  every  stream, 
nor  to  smell  the  flowers  of  every  garden.  Thorns 
have  often  the  appearance  of  roses,  and  seem  to  be 
even  more  beautiful.  If  you  enter  into  the  world  to 
lay  hold  of  the  pearl  of  pleasure,  you  will  lose  your 
hat  and  stick, — images  of  the  goodness  and  power 
of  God,  and  so,  like  Taj  ul-Muluk,  you  will  cease 
to  have  the  noble  form  of  men.  When  you  return 
to  yourself  you  go  to  the  brink  of  the  stream  of  the 
remembrance  of  God  and  plunge  into  it ;  and  draw- 
ing out  your  head,  you  again  find  the  hat  and  stick 
of  grace. 

1  Here  our  author  exhorts  his  readers. 


J   DEMON'S   CASTLE.  303 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE  PKINCE  COMES  TO  THE  CASTLE  OF  A  FIERCE  DEMON  CALLED 
SHAH  PYKAR,  WHERE  HE  FINDS  RUH-AFZA,  COUSIN  OF  BAKA- 
WALI,  A  PRISONER — HE  RESCUES  HER  FROM  THE  DEMON  AND 
CONVEYS  HER  TO  HER  PARENTS— HE  OBTAINS  BAKAWALI  IN 
MARRIAGE  AND  RETURNS  WITH  HIS  BEAUTEOUS  FAIRY  BRIDE 
TO    HIS   OWN    PALACE. 

Taj  ul-muluk,  after  suffering  every  inconvenierice, 
determined  at  last  to  leave  the  earth  altogether,  and, 
by  the  aid  of  the  green  fruit  which  he  had  with  him, 
to  travel  about  in  the  air.  One  day  he  passed  over  a 
mountain  so  high  that  by  its  side  Kaf  would  seem 
a  mere  hillock,  and  of  granite  so  hard  that  mount 
Bistan^  would  be  reduced  to  powder  by  collision  with 
one  of  its  rocks.  On  the  summit  was  a  beautiful 
palace,  constructed  of  precious  stones,  into  which  he 
entered  from  curiosity.  He  looked  around  but  found 
no  living  creature,  and  was  walking  through  the  rooms 
when  his  ears  caught  a  wailing  sound,  and  going  to- 
wards the  place  whence  it  issued  he  discovered  a 
beautiful  damsel  extended  on  a  couch  and  weeping 

1  Kaf  is  a  range  of  mountains  which,  like  a  vast  ring,  enclose 
the  Circumambient  Ocean  ( Bahru-  l-AIiihit )  that  surrounds  the 
whole  earth,  which,  according  to  the  Muhammedan  cosmography, 
is  flat,  not  round.  These  mountains  are  composed  of  green 
chrysolite,  the  reflection  of  which  causes  the  greenish  (or  blueish) 
tint  of  the  sky.  (See  Mr.  E.  J.  W.  Gibb's  Otto>?ia?i  Poems, 
note  6.) — "  From  Kaf  to  Kaf":  from  end  to  end  of  the  earth. — 
Bistan  is  the  famous  mountain  on  which  Farhad  chiselled  figures. 


304  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

very  bitterly.  The  prince,  taking  off  his  hat  and  thus 
making  himself  visible,  begged  her  to  explain  how  and 
why  she  was  there.  "I  am  a  fairy,"  said  she,  "and 
am  called  Ruh-afza.  ^  My  father,  Muzaffar  Shah, - 
rules  over  the  island  of  Firdaus. '^  One  day  I  had 
gone  to  the  Garden  of  IranT^  to  visit  my  cousin  Baka- 
wali,  who  was  unwell,  and  on  my  return  a  div  with 
black  countenance  carried  me  away  and  brought  me 

1  "Soul-expander" — "  Vivifier."  -  "Victorious  King." 

■''  Here  we  have  a  fairy  island  called  "  Paradise,"  as  we  have 
before  had  a  city  of  the  same  name,  where  the  artful  Dilbar 
resided — p.  244. 

4  A  proud  and  wicked  king  of  Yaman,  called  Shaddad, 
according  to  the  Muhammedan  legend,  declared  blasphemously  : 
"  There  is  no  necessity  for  Paradise  for  me  :  I  myself  will  make 
a  Paradise  of  which  no  man  can  have  beheld  the  like."  He 
sent  his  officers  to  find  out  a  suitable  spot  for  a  garden,  and 
they  discovered  such  a  place  on  the  borders  of  Syria,  where 
Shaddad,  at  an  immense  cost,  caused  a  palace  to  be  erected  of 
gold  and  silver  bricks  in  alternate  courses,  and  adorned  with 
the  most  precious  stones.  In  the  garden  were  placed  trees  of 
gold  and  silver,  the  fruit  of  which  was  amethysts,  rubies,  and 
other  gems  (see  also  ante,  p.  166,  note  on  Treasure-trees) ;  and 
the  ground  was  strewed  with  musk,  ambergris,  and  saffi-on. 
They  called  this  place  the  Rose  Garden  of  Irani.  When  Shaddad 
was  about  to  enter  it,  accompanied  by  a  vast  multitude  of  troops 
and  attendants,  he  was  met  by  the  Angel  of  Death,  who  forth- 
with seized  his  impure  soul,  and  then  the  lightnings  of  heaven 
destroyed  all  living  creatures  that  were  there,  and  the  Rose 
(larden  of  Iram  became  hidden  from  the  sight  of  men. — In  the 
present  romance  the  abode  of  the  parents  of  Bakawali  is  called 
the  (harden  of  Iram,  to  indicate  its  magnificence. 


.4    CAPTIVE  DAMSEL   RESCUED.  305 

here.  Then  he  wished  me  to  yield  to  his  passion,  but 
I  refused,  and  hence  he  persecutes  me,  and  tries  by 
all  means  to  increase  my  sufferings."  The  prince 
asked  what  was  her  cousin's  malady,  and  Riih-afza 
replied  :  "  She  loves  a  human  being,  whom  she  con- 
trived to  bring  into  her  presence,  but  she  has  been 
separated  from  him,  and  my  uncle  keeps  her  in  close 
confinement."  At  these  words  Taj  ul-Muluk  could 
not  suppress  his  sighs,  and  with  pale  cheeks  and  tears 
in  his  eyes  confessed  that  he  was  the  human  creature 
whom  Bakawali  loved.  "Alas!"  added  he,  "while 
she  is  suffering  in  prison,  I  am  pining  away  and 
wandering  in  search  of  her."  Then  he  told  Riih-afza 
all  his  own  history,  and  the  recital  so  touched  the 
beautiful  fairy  that  she  declared  herself  willing  to  do 
all  in  her  power  to  help  the  lovers  if  she  were  freed 
from  the  div.  "Be  not  afraid,"  said  the  prince;  "no 
one  can  prevent  your  going.  Come  with  me,  and  if 
the  di'v  should  appear,  I  shall  settle  matters  with  him. 
My  only  difficulty  is  that  I  am  without  weapons." 
The  fairy  directed  him  to  the  armoury  of  the  di'v, 
from  which  he  took  a  sword  of  the  purest  water. 
Then  touching  with  his  magic  stick  the  chains  which 
bound  her  feet  they  broke  in  pieces,  and  they  took 
their  way  to  the  island  of  Firdaus.  But  they  had 
only  proceeded  a  short  distance  when  a  horrible  noise 
was  heard  behind  them.  "Take  care,"  cried  Ruh- 
afza  to  the  prince — "here  is  my  terrible  enemy!" 
Taj  ul-Muluk,  with  great  presence  of  mind,  drew  his 

X 


3o6  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALL 

magic  cap  from  under  his  arm  and  put  it  on  the  head 
of  his  lovely  companion,  and  then  turned  to  confront 
the  div.  "Accursed  one!"  cried  the  prince,  "advance 
not  a  step  farther,  if  you  would  not  be  made  a  corpse 
by  a  single  blow."  The  div  grinned,  showing  his 
great  teeth,  and  sneeringly  asked  :  "  Who  has  ever 
heard  of  a  sparrow  wishing  to  fight  with  the  simurgh,  ^ 
or  an  ant  with  an  elephant?  I  should  blush  to  stain 
my  hand  with  the  blood  of  a  fly,  and  strike  at  a  hand- 
ful of  earth — I,  who  can  turn  aside  mount  Kaf  with  a 
back  stroke  of  my  hand.  Give  me  up  my  mistress 
and  depart."  "Thou  vile  and  lewd  wretch,"  ex- 
claimed Taj  ul  Muliik,  "  dost  thou  dare  to  call  RUh- 
afza  thy  mistress?  Had  I  not  been  restrained  by  the 
grace  of  God,  ere  this  time  I  should  have  torn  th)- 
foul  tongue  out  of  thy  mouth."  The  di'v  burnt  with 
anger  at  these  words,  and  lifting  up  a  stone  weighing 
a  hundred  mdns'-  threw  it  at  the  prince,  upon  which 

1  One  of  the  numerous  legends  told  by  Muslims  regarding 
Solomon  reappears  in  the  Turkish  story-book  entitled  Qirq  vezir 
farik/ii,  where  we  read  that  the  sage  Hebrew  king  despatched 
the  simurgh — a  fabulous  bird,  similar  to  the  rtik/i  f'or  roc) 
of  Arabian  fictions — to  bring  the  sparrow  to  his  court.  But  the 
sparrow,  being  then  with  his  mate,  refused  to  obey  the  prophet, 
or  his  messenger,  and  vaunted  his  prowess  and  strength, 
declaring  that  he  was  al^le  to  pull  down  Solomon's  palace. 
When  the  simurgh  reported  this  to  Solomon  he  replied  : 
"There  is  no  harm  in  one  thus  bragging  in  his  own  house, 
and  before  his  wife." — See  Gibli's  Forty  Vezirs,  p.  97  fT. 

'^  The  mail  has  varied  at  different  jieriods  and  in  diflei-ent  parts 


k 


.4    TERRIBLE    CONFLICT.  307 

the  latter,  to  avoid  it,  by  virtue  of  the  green  fruit 
which  he  carried  with  him,  rose  up  into  the  air,  and 
with  his  magic  staff  dealt  such  a  blow  on  the  neck  of 
the  div  that  he  trembled  all  over.  Then  the  di'v 
uttered  loud  cries,  and  presently  a  great  number  of 
other  divs,  ox-headed  and  elephant-bodied,  came  to  his 
assistance  and  joined  in  battle  against  the  shah-zada, 
who  after  a  most  formidable  engagement  proved 
victorious,  and  those  of  his  foes  who  survived  fled 
in  dismay.  But  no  sooner  was  the  field  cleared  of 
the  enemy  than  Taj  ul-Muluk  fainted  in  consequence 
of  his  exertions.  The  beautiful  Riih-afza,  seeing  this, 
ran  up  to  him,  laid  her  hand  like  a  rose-leaf  on  his 
bosom,  and  with  her  fragrant  breath  recalled  him  to 
consciousness,  and,  giving  him  back  his  magic  cap, 
warmly  praised  his  valorous  achievement.  Then  they 
continued  their  journey,  and  arriving  at  the  capital  of 
Firdaus,  Riih-afza,  leaving  the  prince  in  a  garden 
belonging  to  herself,  and  bearing  her  own  name, 
proceeded  to  her  father's  palace,  where  she  was  re- 
ceived by  Muzaffar  Shah  and  her  mother  with  every 
token  of  affection.  Riih-afza  told  them  of  her  adven- 
tures, but  concealed  the  fact  of  her  deliverer  being  the 
lover  of  Bakawali.  Her  father  at  once  proceeded  to 
the  garden  and  thanked  Taj  ul-Muluk  for  rescuing 

of  Persia  and  India  ;  but  our  author  means  us  to  understand  that 
the  stone  wielded  by  the  demon  was  very  ponderous — three  or 
four  hundred  pounds'  weight  at  the  least,  which  would  doubtless 
be  to  him  as  a  mere  "  pebble  out  of  the  brook  " ! 


3o8  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

his  daughter,  and  overwhehned  him  with  tokens  of 
respect  and  honour. 

Muzaffar  Shah  then  wrote  a  letter  to  Firiiz  Shah, 
acquainting  him  of  the  return  of  Riih-afza.  The 
monarch  read  it  with  joy,  and  induced  Jamila  Khatun 
to  go  and  see  her  niece.  Bakawah'  wished  to  accom- 
pany her,  which  gave  great  pleasure  to  her  mother, 
because  she  thought  that  the  journey  would  remove 
the  mildew  of  sorrow  from  the  mirror  of  her  heart. 
Jamila  unloosed  the  chains  which  bound  Bakawali, 
and  both  departed  together  for  the  island  of  Firdaus. 
When  Muzaffar  Shah  was  informed  of  their  arrival  he 
sent  his  daughter  to  meet  them.  Riih-afza  greeted 
her  aunt  most  heartily,  kissed  her  forehead,  fell  at 
her  feet,  and  then  exchanged  congratulations  suitable 
to  the  occasion ;  after  which  she  whispered  to  Baka- 
wali:  "Be  you  glad  also,  for  I  have  brought  a 
physician  who  will  cure  your  disease,  by  prescribing 
the  sherbet  of  love  to  you.'"'  The  heart  of  Bakawali 
was  full  of  joy,  but  she  did  not  venture  to  reply  before 
her  mother.  Muzaffar  Shah  and  Husn-ara  ^  showed 
the  greatest  kindness  to  their  sister  and  her  daughter. 
The  door  of  speech  was  opened  and  different  things 
were  talked  about,  especially  the  manner  in  which 
Rilh-afza  had  been  rescued.  The  following  morning 
Jamila  Khatiin  wished  to  take  farewell  of  her  niece, 
but  the  latter  entreated  her  to  allow  Bakawali  to 
remain  a  few  days  longer  with  her.     Jamila  consented 

1  "  Adorner  of  Beauty  "  ;  the  wife  of  Muzaffar  Shah. 


THE  LOVERS  MEET  AGAIN.  309 

to  leave  her  for  a  week  with  her  cousin,  and  returned 
to  the  garden  of  Iram.  Then  Riih-afza  led  Bakawali 
to  that  part  of  the  palace  where  Taj  ul-Muluk  was 
dwelling.  As  soon  as  they  drew  near  the  chamber 
a  doleful  sound  was  heard  from  within.  Bakawali 
asked :  "  Who  is  this  groaning  ? "  Her  cousin 
answered  :  "  It  is  a  new  victim.  Come,  if  you  wish, 
and  I  will  show  him  to  you."  At  last  she  prevailed 
upon  Bakawali  to  enter  the  chamber,  and  brought 
her  into  the  presence  of  the  prince.  The  moment 
the  eyes  of  the  lovers  fell  on  each  other  patience  was 
lost,  sense  remained  dormant,  the  reins  of  discretion 
dropped  from  their  hands,  love  triumphed  over  all, 
and  they  ran  forward  and  embraced  with  all  the 
warmth  which  genuine  passion  can  alone  inspire. 
They  wept  for  joy,  and  blotted  out  with  their  tears 
the  remembrance  of  the  sorrows  which  had  caused 
their  long  separation.  The  lovers  remained  together, 
and  gave  themselves  up  to  mutual  tokens  of  affec- 
tion until  at  last  the  day  arrived  when  Bakawali  was 
obliged  to  return  to  her  parents.  Ruh-afza  promised 
to  use  her  utmost  efforts  to  get  them  united,  and 
persuaded  them  to  await  with  patience  the  course  of 
events.  Bakawali  yielded  to  this  advice  and  returned 
home. 

Meanwhile  Riih-afza  related  in  detail  to  her  mother 
the  history  of  the  love  of  her  cousin  and  Taj  ul- 
Muldk.  After  the  recital  Husn-ara  held  her  head 
for  a  long  time  bowed  down  in  the  collar  of  reflection, 


3IO  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

and  then  said  to  her  daughter :  "  Although  the  union 
of  a  man  with  a  fairy  be  an  unusual  thing,  yet,  as  this 
mortal  has  delivered  you  from  a  cruel  bondage,  I 
ought,  out  of  gratitude,  to  save  him  from  some  sorrow 
and  enable  him  to  succeed  in  his  object."  Having 
taken  this  resolution,  she  called  for  a  skilful  painter 
and  caused  him  to  draw  the  portrait  of  Taj  ul-Muluk, 
and  then  proceeded  to  the  garden  of  Iram,  where  she 
stayed  a  few  days  with  Firdz  Shah  and  Jamila  Khatun. 
One  day  in  conversation  with  the  latter  she  addressed 
her  as  follows  :  "  My  dear  sister,  a  pearl  of  beautiful 
water  is  only  useful  when  shown  in  a  necklace.  Why 
do  you  allow  Bakawali  to  pine  away  in  virginity  ? " 
"Perhaps  you  have  already  heard,"  replied  Jamila, 
"  that  my  daughter  has  placed  her  affections  on  a 
human  being.  She  does  not  wish  to  be  united  to 
one  of  her  own  race.  What  can  I  do  in  this  matter? 
Must  I  give  up  the  customs  of  our  ancestors?  Should 
I  allow  my  daughter  to  make  a  marriage  which  has 
never  before  taken  place  amongst  us?"  "True," 
rejoined  Husn-ara,  "  it  is  unwise  to  place  a  precious 
gem  in  the  hands  of  one  who  cannot  appreciate  it ; 
but  if  you  knew  all  the  merits  of  the  human  race  you 
would  never  entertain  such  thoughts  as  these.  Hear 
me  :  man  is  the  most  perfect  of  the  creatures  of  God.  ^ 

1  Yet  we  are  told  that  he  is  "a  little  lower  than  the  angels"  ; 
and  if  he  was  "created  perfect,"  he  has  "sought  out  many 
inventions "  !  It  is  amusing  how  Muslim  writers  exaggerate 
the  "dignity"  of  man:  generally  he  is  the  most  contemptible 
creature  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 


AN  ADVOCATE    OF   THE  PRINCE.  311 

He  is  the  image  of  the  Deity,  is  glorified  by  all,  and 
is  considered  as  the  lord  of  the  creation.  His  sway 
extends  over  the  elements,  and,  clothed  in  the  gar- 
ments of  virtue,  he  is  more  than  a  sovereign  on  earth. 
The  light  of  God  beams  in  him.  Every  attribute  of 
the  Deity  has  its  corresponding  representation  on 
earth ;  but  in  man  alone  can  we  find  all  the  several 
virtues  bound,  as  it  were,  in  a  single  volume.  Each 
leaf  that  trembles  to  the  gale  is  a  leaf  of  the  works  of 
the  Creator.^  O  Jamila  Khatiln,  man  is  a  superior 
creature,  and  we  are  but  his  servants.  What  an 
honour  it  is  therefore  to  be  allied  to  a  superior." 
By  such  words  Husn-ara  endeavoured  to  extinguish 
in  the  heart  of  her  sister  the  hatred  which  she  had 
for  the  human  race.  "  That  is  all  very  well,"  said 
Jamila,  "but  to  a  man  my  daughter  shall  never  be 
given."  Thereupon  Husn-ara  placed  Taj  ul-Muluk's 
portrait  in  her  hands,  saying:  "Tell  me,  if  ever  the 
pen  of  destiny  has  drawn  such  a  handsome  face  in 
the  world.  Make  haste,  then,  to  unite  this  lovely 
jasmine  to  that  rose  of  beauty."  hx  length  Jamila 
consented  to  bestow  her  daughter  on  the  prince,  and 
Husn-ara  returned  to  Firdaus,  and  reported  the  result 
of  her  expedition. 

Jamila  related  to  her  husband,  Firuz  Shah,  the  con 
versation  she  had  with  her  sister,  and  showed  him  the 

1  Cf.  Shakspeare :  "tongues  in  trees,"  etc.  And  the  Persian 
poet  Sa'di :  "  The  foHage  of  a  newly-clothed  tree,  to  the  eye 
of  a  discerning  man,  displays  a  voknne  of  the  wondrous  works 
of  the  Creator." 


THE   ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 


likeness  of  Taj  ul-Muliik,  which  he  sent  to  Bakawali, 
with  the  message  that  he  was  willing  she  should  marrj' 
the  young  prince  of  the  East,  since  such  was  her  desire. 
Bakawali  at  once  recognised  her  dearly  beloved,  and 
felt  that  this  change  in  the  sentiments  of  her  parents 
was  due  to  Riih-afza.  So  she  hastened  to  her  father, 
and  said  :  "  Sire,  children  ought  to  obey  their  parents, 
therefore  I  accept  the  husband  whom  you  offer  me. 
Were  he  a  div  or  an  Abyssinian,  I  would  consider  him 
as  one  of  the  youths  of  paradise,  or  as  the  Moon  of 
Canaan."^  Firuz  Shah  at  once  gave  orders  to  make 
preparations  for  the  marriage.  All  the  houses  were 
decorated  with  gold,  and  songs  and  dances  resounded 
throughout  the  city.  Letters  of  invitation  were  de- 
spatched everywhere  ;  troops  of  fairies  came  to  swell 
the  festive  gathering.     The  wine  went  gaily  round,- 

1  Joseph,  the  son  of  Jacob  the  Hebrew  patriarch. — A  most 
dutiful  little  speech  this  :  O  the  hypocritical  young  creature  ! 

-  Although  Muhammed  strictly  prohil^ited  the  drinking  of  wine, 
even  more  potent  liquors  are  indulged  in  by  many  Muslims, 
especially  those  of  the  shVah  persuasion.  The  more  strict  si'inis 
create  for  themselves  a  "paradise  of  fools"  with  narcotics,  such 
as  bang  and  other  preparations  of  which  opium  is  the  principal 
ingredient,  satisfying  their  "  consciences"  with  the  quibble  that 
the  holy  Prophet  does  not  forbid  its  use  in  express  terms — an 
omission  which  is  probably  due  to  his  ignorance  of  such  dele- 
terious drugs.  The  old  pagan  Arabs  were  inordinate  wine- 
bibbers,  as  we  learn  from  their  poetry,  and  sanguinary  fights 
were  a  frequent  result  between  rival  factions  when  they  assembled 
from  different  districts  at  Makka.  Muhammed  at  first  attempted, 
l)y   a    "revelation"    in    the    Kuran,    to   restrain   this  propensity 


MARRIAGE    OF   THE   LOVERS. 


and  plates  with  cakes  and  sweets.  Fi'riiz  Shah  treated 
all  with  princely  hospitality.  As  the  festivities  began 
well,  so  they  ended.  In  the  island  of  Firdaus  the 
same  arrangements  were  made  by  Muzaffar  Shah 
and  the  same  ceremonies  performed. 

On  the  day  before  the  marriage  orders  were  given 
to  the  amirs  and  vazirs  that  they  should  array  them- 
selves in  the  most  brilliant  garments.  The  army  was 
directed  to  be  drawn  out.  Husn-ara  also  adorned 
herself  with  the  most  precious  jewels,  and  her  maids 
and  attendants  were  as  splendidly  decorated.  At  last, 
when  the  auspicious  moment  arrived,^  they  brought  the 
prince,  arrayed  in  royal  robes,  and  placed  him  on  a 
throne  of  state.  A  gorgeous  turban  adorned  his  head, 
whence  descended  long  folds  of  flowing  cloth,  richly 
embroidered  with  pearls  and  flowers.  His  neck  was 
surrounded  with  wreaths  of  valuable  pearls,  and  his 
wrists  encircled  with  the  precious  nauratanr     He  was 

within  reasonable  bounds,  and  finding  this  of  no  effect  prohibited 
wine  altogether.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  ver}'  ancient  custom 
among  Asiatics  to  drink  wine  in  the  early  morning,  and  in  the 
Mii'allaka  poems,  which  were  suspended  in  the  Temple  at  Makka 
before  the  advent  of  Muhammed,  the  "morning  draught"  is  fre- 
quently mentioned,  with  evident  gusto.  The  prophet  Isaiah 
exclaims:  "  Woe  unto  those  that  rise  up  early  in  the  morning, 
that  they  may  follow  strong  drink  ;  that  continue  till  night,  till 
wine  inflame  them  !" — ch.  v,  ii. 

1  See  the  note  on  p.  8. 

'■2  Nait  Ratn:  "the  Nine  Gems,"  an  ornament  worn  on  the  arm, 
which  indicates  the  only  gems  that  are  esteemed  as  precious. 
They  are  :  the  diamond,  ruljy,  emerald,  sapphire,  topaz,  pearl, 


314  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

then  placed  on  a  beautiful  horse,  caparisoned  in  the 
richest  fashion.  Muzaffar  Shah,  with  several  other 
sovereigns,  rode  in  the  train.  The  palankins  of  the 
ladies  followed.  When  the  procession  arrived  at  the 
palace  of  Firilz  Shah  he  sent  some  of  his  officers  to 
conduct  them  to  the  reception  room  where  the  com- 
pany had  assembled.  Jamila  and  Husn-ara  then  came 
forward,  the  former  as  mother  of  the  bride,  the  latter 
as  fulfilling  the  same  duty  for  the  bridegroom.  The 
prince  and  princess  were  duly  united  in  marriage,  and 
congratulations  resounded  throughout  the  hall.  Wines 
and  sherbets  were  passed  round  abundantly.  The 
singers  only  ceased  their  love-songs  when  sleep  over- 
took them,  and  then  they  reposed  in  each  other's  arms 
as  on  cushions. 

In  the  morning,  as  the  prince  went  to  the  bath, 
Riih-afza  came  into  the  nuptial  chamber  and  found 
Bakawali  still  asleep,  and  perceived  on  her  cheeks  the 
marks  of  the  teeth  of  Taj  ul-Muluk,^  and  on  her 
bosom   the   trace   of  his  hands  tinged  with  mehndi!^ 

coral,  hyacinth,  carbuncle.  The  inferior  gems,  such  as  agate, 
l^loodstone,  etc.,  are  mostly  used  for  signet-rings. — There  is  a 
collection  of  tales,  in  the  Urdu,  entitled  Natiratan,  compiled  by 
Mahjur,  and  pulilished  at  Lucknow  in  the  year  1811.  It  consists 
of  nine  stories  (hence  the  title,  "  Nine  Jewels"),  which  all  turn 
on  the  deceits  (charltr)  and  tricks  of  women  and  arc  mostly 
taken  from  the  Book  of  Sindibad. 

1  Frequent  allusion  is  made  in  the  Arabian  Nii^hh  and  in 
Eastern  amatory  poetry  to  this  singular  kind  of  caress. 

2  The  henna  of  the  Persians — see  note  on  page  11.   Mehndi 


THE  PRINCE   RETURNS  HOME.  315 

Muzaffar  Shah  and  Husn-ara  soon  took  their  leave  of 
their  relations  and  set  out  for  their  own  country. 
Some  time  after,  Taj  ul-Muliik,  with  the  consent  of 
Bakawali,  asked  permission  to  quit  the  palace  of  f^iruz 
Shah.  In  giving  his  sanction,  the  king  of  the  fairies 
presented  the  prince  with  a  great  number  of  slaves  of 
both  sexes,  and,  besides  the  dowry  of  Bakawali,  ready 
money  for  the  journey ;  and  many  articles  of  use  and 
ornament  were  also  bestowed  on  him,  a  mere  catalogue 
of  the  names  of  which  would  fill  a  volume.  Taj  ul- 
Muluk,  attended  with  every  pomp  and  magnificence, 
took  Bakawali  to  his  own  palace.  Dilbar  and  Mah- 
muda  on  beholding  him  were  restored  to  joy,  and  the 
dry  field  of  their  hope  was  again  refreshed  with  the 
shower  of  gladness.  The  beauty  and  grace  of  Baka- 
wali, however,  filled  them  with  confusion,  but  the  fairy 
tenderly  embraced  them  both  and  assured  them  that 
she  W'Ould  never  disturb  their  domestic  happiness. 
They  spent  their  time  in  peace  and  mutual  love  and 
never  had  the  least  jealousy  or  rivalry  between  them- 
selves. The  prince  passed  his  days  with  these  rosy- 
lipped  beauties,  immersed  in  a  sea  of  bliss. 

is  the  Lawsonia  alba  of  botanists,  and  the  water  distilled  from 
its  flowers  is  used  as  a  perfume. 


3i6  THE   ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

BAKAWALI  GOES  TO  THE  COURT  OF  INDRA,  WHERE  SHE  SINGS 
AND  DANCES — THE  DEITV,  ENRAGED  AT  HER  LOVE  FOR  A 
HUMAN  BEING,  PRONOUNCES  A  CURSE  UPON  HER — THE  PRINCE 
GOES  TO  CEYLON,  WHERE  HE  FINDS  BAKAWALI  CONFINED  IN 
A  TEMPLE,  THE  LOWER  PART  OF  HER  BODY  BEING  TURNED 
INTO  MARBLE — CHITRAWAT,  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  THE  RAJA, 
FALLS  IN  LOVE  WITH  HIM,  AND  ON  HIS  DECLINING  HER 
OVERTURES    HE    IS   THROWN    INTO    PRISON. 

Indian  writers  say,  that  there  was  a  city  called 
Amarnagar,  whose  inhabitants  were  immortal,  the 
king  of  which,  named  Indra,^  passed  his  days  and 
nights  in  joyful  festivities,  and  the  food  of  his  soul 
was  song  and  dancing.  His  sway  extended  over  all 
the  world  of  the  jinn,  and  his  court  was  constantly 
attended  by  the  paris,  who  danced  before  him.  One 
night  Indra  observed  that  Bakawali,  the  daughter  of 
Fi'ruz  Shah,  had  not  been  present  for  some  time,  and 
demanded  to  know  the  reason.  "  It  is,"  replied  one 
of  the  paris,  "  because  she  has  been  caught  in  the  net 
of  love  by  a  man,  and,  intoxicated  with  this  passion, 
she  is  constantly  with  him  and  has  no  longer  any 
dislike  for  his  race."  On  hearing  this  Indra  was 
greatly  enraged,  and  directed  several  fairies  to  bring 
her  instantly.  By  an  aerial  chariot  they  were  carried 
to  the  garden  of  Taj   ul-Muliik,   where   they  awoke 

1  Inclra,  in  the  Hindu  mythology,  is  the  god  of  thunder — a 
personification  of  the  sky.  His  paradise  is  Swerga,  the  capital 
of  which  is  Armaravali,  or  Amarnagar  in  Urdii. 


THE    COURT  OF  INDRA.  317 

Bakawali,  told  her  of  the  wrath  of  Indra  and  intimated 
his  command.  She  was  therefore  compelled  to  accom- 
pany them  to  Amarnagar,  and,  trembling,  came  before 
the  king,  and  with  folded  hands  paid  her  dutiful 
respects  ;  but  the  king,  casting  on  her  a  look  of  anger, 
reprimanded  her  with  great  severity,  and  ordered 
that  she  should  be  thrown  into  the  fire,  so  that  her 
body  might  lose  the  odour  which  the  contact  with  a 
mortal  had  imparted  to  it.  The  fairies  put  her 
accordingly  into  a  furnace  where  she  was  reduced 
to  ashes ;  after  which  they  recited  a  charm  over  a 
basin  of  water,  and  sprinkling  it  on  the  ashes  restored 
her  to  life.  Thus  purified,  she  came  before  Indra, 
and  began  to  dance.  With  her  first  motion,  she  trod 
upon  the  hearts  of  the  spectators,  and  in  one  turn 
threw  the  beholders  out  of  themselves  :  every  mouth 
applauded  her,  every  tongue  commended  her.  When 
she  had  ended,  she  saluted  the  assembly  and  returned 
in  the  same  chariot  to  her  garden.  After  bathing  in 
rose-water  she  rejoined  her  lord.  On  the  morrow 
she  rose  up  according  to  her  custom,  and  conducted 
herself  all  day  in  her  usual  manner  till  night  came, 
when  she  again  ascended  to  the  court  of  Indra  to 
repeat  the  proceedings  of  the  preceding  night ;  and 
thus  she  continued  for  some  time,  Taj  ul-Muluk 
suspecting  nothing. 

One  night,  however,  while  she  was  at  the  court  of 
Indra,  the  prince  awoke,  and  finding  her  not  by  his 
side  sought  her  in  vain   both  on  the  terrace  and  in 


3i8  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

the  garden.  He  went  to  sleep  again,  and,  meanwhile, 
Bakawali  returned  and  lay  down  on  the  marital  couch. 
The  prince  was  much  astonished,  on  awaking  in  the 
morning,  to  find  her  by  his  side,  but,  feigning  to  know 
nothing  of  her  absence,  he  determined  to  discover  the 
secret.  Before  lying  down  on  his  couch  next  night, 
he  cut  his  finger  and  put  salt  on  the  wound  to  prevent 
him  from  dropping  asleep.  At  midnight  the  flying 
chariot  appeared,  and  just  as  Bakawali  was  about  to 
mount  it  the  prince,  without  being  perceived,  fastened 
himself  firmly  to  one  of  the  corners,  and  they  were 
speedily  at  the  gate  of  Indra.  There  the  prince  saw 
what  he  had  never  before  seen  as  regards  immortal 
beauties ;  and  heard  what  he  had  never  before  heard 
with  respect  to  musical  sounds.  But  when  he  beheld 
the  terrible  purification  of  Bakawali,  and  saw  her 
reduced  to  ashes,  he  could  no  longer  contain  himself, 
and  struck  his  head  with  both  hands.  Presently, 
boundless  was  his  astonishment  when  he  saw  his 
beloved  rise  up  again  from  her  ashes  and  advance 
towards  Indra.  As  the  crowd  was  numerous,  he 
followed  her  without  attracting  any  attention.  It 
chanced  that  the  musician  attending  Bakawali  was 
very  old,  and  could  not,  from  infirmity,  perform  his 
duties  properly.^  The  prince  approached  the  musician, 
and  said  in  a  whisper  :  "  If  you  are  tired  with  playing, 

1  He  could  not,  therefore,  have  been  one  of  the  "immortals," 
but  of  a  race  like  the  jinn  or  the  paris,  who  are  subject  to  death, 
though  their  existence  is  prolonged  greatly  beyond  that  of  mere 
human  beings. 


THE    COURT  OF  INDRA.  319 

I  will  take  your  place  for  a  short  time  with  much 
pleasure,  as  I  am  considered  skilful  in  this  exercise." 
The  old  man  accepted  the  proposal  and  handed  him 
the  instrument.  No  sooner  had  the  prince  struck 
the  first  note  than  the  movements  of  Bakawali  grew 
animated  and  ravishing.  Indra  was  so  delighted  that 
he  took  from  his  neck  a  collar,  of  the  value  of  nine 
lakhs  of  rupi's,  and  cast  it  before  Bakawali,  who,  in 
a  retrograde  movement,  gave  it  in  charge  of  the  clever 
musician.  When  the  festivities  were  over  Bakawali 
returned  home,  and  went  as  usual  to  bathe  in  the 
tank  of  rose-water.  Meanwhile  Taj  ul-Muluk  gained 
his  couch  and  feigned  to  be  fast  asleep. 

AVhen  morning  dawned  the  prince  related  to  Baka- 
wali his  adventure  of  the  previous  night,  confirming 
the  truth  of  his  narrative  by  showing  her  the  necklace 
of  Indra.  She  expressed  her  fears  lest  a  repetition  of 
the  adventure  should  cause  them  distress,  but  said 
she  would  that  night  try  her  fate  by  taking  him  with 
her.  Accordingly  the  prince  accompanied  her  to  the 
court  of  Indra,  and  was  presented  by  her  to  the  king 
as  a  skilled  musician  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  prince  began 
to  play  and  Bakawali  to  dance,  the  assembly  were 
overcome  with  astonishment,  and  Indra  exclaimed : 
"Ask  what  thou  desirest,  and  I  will  give  it  to  thee."^ 

1  This  is  quite  after  the  manner  of  Asiatic  despots — and  the 
deity  Indra  is  here  nothing  better — and  at  once  recalls  a  similar 
incident,  which  cost  a  good  man  his  head :  when  the  daughter  of 
Herodias  danced  before  King  Herod,  he  was  so  charmed  with 


320  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

Bakciwali  replied  :  "Great  king,  I  am  in  want  of  nothing, 
save  that  you  will  give  me  this  musician  and  let  me 
go."  At  these  words  Indra,  in  anger,  and  regarding 
Bakawali  as  a  courtesan,  said  that  as  he  had  given 
his  word  he  must  not  draw  back  from  it ;  but  for 
twelve  years  the  lower  half  of  her  body  should  be  of 
marble.^ 

Fate,  alas  !  ordaineth  still. 
Grief  and  joy  are  twin-born  here  : 
Now  'tis  spring  with  laughing  flowers, 
Now  'tis  autumn  bleak  and  sere  ! 
A  crown  adorns  the  head  to-day, 
In  the  grave  it  lies  to-morrow  ! 
Now  like  flowers  the  heart  expands, 
Now  'tis  spotted  all  with  sorrow  ! 
Pleasures  vanish  fast  away, 
Short-lived  is  the  sunny  day  ! 

It  is  related  that  Bakawali  immediately  after  her 
transformation  disappeared,  and  Taj  ul-Muliik  rolled 
on  the  ground  through  excess  of  grief;  but  the  fairies, 
pitying  his  condition,  took  him  up  and  cast  him  in  a 

that  young  light-skirt's  performance  that  he  said  to  her:  "Ask 
whatsoever  thou  wilt,  and  I  will  give  it  thee  "  (Mark  vi,  22). 

1  This  transformation  will  remind  readers  of  the  tale  of  the 
young  King  of  the  Ebony  Isles  in  the  Aralnatt  Nights. — The 
deities  of  the  Hindu  mythology  are  frequently  represented  as 
condemning  inferior  celestials  who  have  offended  them  to  be  re- 
born on  the  earth,  in  the  form  of  a  human  being,  or  as  some 
beast,  bird,  or  reptile,  so  to  remain  for  a  certain  period.  But 
this  punishment  of  Bakawali  is  more  in  accordance  with  Muslim 
ideas. 


THE  PRINCE  IN  SAD  PLIGHT. 


forest  on  earth.  For  three  days  he  remained  there 
without  sense  or  motion.  On  the  fourth  he  opened  his 
eyes,  and  found,  instead  of  his  beloved,  nothing  but 
thorns  in  his  arms.  He  wandered  on  every  side,  calling 
upon  Bakawali,  and  asking  every  tree  to  direct  him  to 
her.  One  day  he  arrived  on  the  banks  of  a  pond. 
Beautiful  stairs  were  on  each  side  and  trees  loaded 
with  fruits  were  planted  everywhere.  The  prince 
waited  for  a  moment,  then  bathed,  and  laid  himself 
down  under  the  shade  of  a  tree,  and  thinking  of  his 
beloved  he  fell  asleep.  It  happened  that  a  number  of 
fairies  alighted  there,  and  after  bathing  in  the  pond, 
sat  down  to  dry  their  hair.  The  eyes  of  one  falling 
on  the  prince,  she  observed  to  her  companions : 
"There  is  the  musician  of  Bakawali."  The  moment 
that  these  words  were  heard  by  Taj  ul-Muluk  he 
opened  his  eyes,  arose,  came  before  the  fairies,  and, 
weeping,  inquired  if  they  knew  where  Bakawali  was. 
Their  hearts  melted  within  them.  They  said  they 
had  not  seen  her,  but  had  heard  that  she  was  in  a 
temple  in  Ceylon,  the  gates  of  which  remained  closed 
during  the  day  and  were  open  during  the  night ; 
adding  that  Bakawali's  body  was  changed  to  stone 
from  her  waist  downward.  The  prince  inquired  in 
what  direction  was  her  present  abode,  and  how  far  it 
was  from  the  place  where  they  were  standing.  They 
answered  :  "  Leaving  out  the  inconvenience  of  travel, 
if  a  person  were  to  journey  all  his  life  he  would  never 
reach   it."     Taj  ul-Muluk  despaired  on  hearing  this, 


322  THE  ROSE    OE  BAKAWALI. 

and  then,  bidding  adieu  to  life,  commenced  dashing 
his  head  against  the  stones.  The  fairies,  compassion- 
ating his  case,  consulted  among  themselves,  with  a 
view  of  devising  such  measures  as  would  enable  them 
to  carry  him  to  the  desired  quarter,  and  there  leave 
him  to  the  fate  that  might  befall  him.  They  removed 
him  instantly,  and,  in  the  saying  of  a  word,  placed 
him  in  the  land  of  Ceylon. 

After  a  moment  his  despair  was  somehow  cheered 
with  hope.  He  gazed  upon  a  city  which  rivalled 
Paradise  in  loveliness,  surrounded  as  it  was  with  every 
surprising  object.  Not  one  of  the  men  or  women 
appeared  to  be  ugly  there.  Nay,  the  very  trees  were 
so  symmetrical  as  to  strike  the  beholder  with  wonder. 
Rambling  about,  he  at  last  found  himself  in  the 
public  thoroughfare,  where  he  met  a  Brahman,  who 
was  a  devotee.  Of  him  he  inquired :  "  In  what 
shrines  do  you  offer  up  your  prayers?"  The  Brahman 
answered  :  "  In  that  of  Raja  Chitrasan,i  who  governs 
this  country."  The  prince  next  asked  :  "  How  many 
temples  are  there  in  this  city  ?"  The  Brc4hman  satisfied 
his  inquiries,  and  then  added,  that  lately  a  new  temple 
had  been  discovered  in  the  south,  the  doors  of  which 
were  never  opened  during  the  day,  and  no  one  knew 
what  it  contained.  The  prince  was  delighted  at  this 
intelligence,  and  took  his  way  as  pointed  out,  until  he 
reached  the  building  and  sat  down  patiently.  In  the 
night  one  of  its  doors  suddenly  opened.     He  entered 

1  "Mark  of  Beauty." 


VICTIMS   OF  LOVE. 


and  found  Bakawali  half  in  her  original  form  and  half 
petrified,  reclining  against  the  wall.  On  beholding 
him  she  was  much  astonished,  and  inquired  how  he 
had  come  thither.  The  prince  gave  a  faithful  account 
of  his  adventures.  The  night  was  then  passed  in 
conversation.  And  when  morning  was  about  to  dawn 
Bakawali  bade  him  depart,  "for,"  said  she,  "if  the 
sunbeams  find  you  here  you  will  be  changed  into  a 
shape  like  mine."  She  then  pulled  out  a  pearl  from 
her  earring  and  gave  it  to  the  prince,  and  desired  him 
to  sell  it  and  use  the  proceeds  for  his  own  subsistence 
for  a  few  days.  The  prince  took  it  to  the  city  and  sold 
it  for  some  thousands  of  rupis.  He  then  bought  a 
house,  and  having  furnished  it,  engaged  a  number  of 
servants.  It  was  usual  with  him  to  pass  his  nights 
with  Bakawali  and  return  home  in  the  morning,  and 
thus  several  years  rolled  away. 

In  the  meantime  the  prince  had  become  acquainted 
with  many  of  the  inhabitants,  who  generally  undertook 
to  escort  him  through  the  city.  In  one  of  his  walks 
he  came  upon  a  party  of  naked  creatures,  on  whom 
every  mark  of  poverty  was  visible.  He  observed  that 
these  men,  although  in  the  garb  of  beggars,  had  still 
some  tokens  of  nobility  in  their  features,  and  inquired  : 
"  What  may  be  the  cause  of  this  ?  "  His  friends  an- 
swered that  some  of  those  individuals  were  actually 
princes,  and  some  the  sons  of  nobles,  but  they  were 
all  the  victims  of  love.^     "The  Raja  Chitrasan  has  a 

1  Like  the  one-eyed  young  men  in  the  Arabian  tale  of  the 


324  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

daughter  named  Chitrawat/  who  is  as  bright  as  the 
moon — nay,  more,  she  is  a  star  in  the  heaven  of  love- 
hness.  Amongst  women  she  is  perfectly  unrivalled. 
Grace  is  visible  in  her  steps  and  magic  in  her  eyes." 
Thousands  die  before  her  arching  eyebrows,  and  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  are  entrapped  in  her  raven  tresses : 
those  tresses  that  are  darker  than  night — nay,  darker 
than  the  fate  of  her  lovers.  Her  eyes  teem  with  nectar 
and  poison.  In  one  moment  they  can  kill,  in  another, 
restore  to  life.  In  her  love  there  is  nothing  but  suffer- 
ing, sorrow,  and  loss  of  reputation.-'  In  brief,  she  is 
really  a  fairy,  whose *charms  enslave  both  infidels  and 
Muslims.  But  what  is  worse,  she  has  two  companions 
whose  beauty  has  also  wrecked  the  peace  of  many. 

Second  Kalander,  or  Roj'al  Mendicant — only  they  suffered  for 
their  curiosity  while  these  (as  we  shall  just  see)  were  the  victims 
of  a  hard-hearted  beauty. 

1  "Picture-like." 

2  This  recalls  Milton's  well-worn  lines  in  his  description  of 
"  our  common  mother  "  Eve  : 

"  Grace  was  in  every  steii,  heaven  in  her  eye, 
In  every  gesture  dignity  and  love." 
The  "  witchery,"  or  "  magic,"  of  a  pretty  girl's  eyes  is  cjuite  as 
common  a  subject  of  complaint,  or  admiration,  in  Western  as  in 
Eastern  amatory  poetry:  by  Muslims  it  is  called  "Babylonian 
magic,"  because  the  Chaldeans  were  past  masters  in  magical  arts. 

3  According  to  the  Hindus,  there  are  ten  stages  of  love  : 
(i)  Love  of  the  eyes;  (2)  attachment  of  the  mind;  (3)  the 
jiroduction  of  desire ;  (4)  sleeplessness ;  (5)  emaciation  ;  (6) 
indifference  to  ol)jects  of  sense ;  (7)  loss  of  shame ;  (8)  dis- 
traction ;  (9)  fainting  ;  (10)  deatli  ! 


VICTIMS   OF  LOVE.  325 

One  is  the  daughter  of  a  betel-seller  ^  and  is  called 
Nirmala;-  the  other  is  the  child  of  a  gardener  and  is 
called  Chapala."^  All  three  are  sincerely  attached  to 
each  other.  Sitting  or  rising,  in  all  concerns  of  life, 
they  are  inseparable  companions.  Moreover,  each  is 
at  liberty  to  choose  her  own  husband.  But  hitherto 
none  has  proved  so  fortunate  as  to  be  honoured  with 
the  favour  of  either  of  those  beauties." 

Some  time  after  this  the  prince  found  himself  under 
the  balcony  of  the  Princess  Chitrawat,  and  beheld 
thousands  gazing  longingly  on  her  bright  features, 
even  as  the  bulbul  regards  the  blushing  beauties  of  the 
rose.  Like  maniacs,  they  were  blubbering  amongst 
themselves,  while  she,  the  proud  beauty,  sat  on  her 
balcony  exulting  at  the  view  of  their  sufferings.  It 
was  at  this  moment  that  Taj  ul-Muliik  appeared. 
Their  eyes  met.     The  shaft  of  love  passed  at  once 

1  Betel :  the  areca  or  Penang  nut  palm  grown  in  many  parts  of 
the  East  Indies.  Its  kernel  is  used  as  a  masticatorj-  in  India  and 
elsewhere.  The  nut  is  carried  in  pouches  and  presented  to  guests 
in  the  houses  of  the  rich  on  silver  trays  wrapped  in  gold  and  silver 
leaf,  and  in  this  form  becomes  an  essential  part  in  all  ceremonial 
visits.  Indeed,  among  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Eastern 
Archipelago,  to  refuse  the  betel  when  offered  would  give  unpar- 
donable offence.  It  is  believed  to  sweeten  the  breath,  strengthen 
the  stomach,  and  preserve  the  teeth ;  and  when  chewed  with 
betel  leaf  (the  Piper  betel,  Linn.)  it  gives  the  saliva  a  red  colour, 
which  it  imparts  also  to  the  lips  and  gums  [Balfour).  The  pre- 
sentation of  betel  to  visitors  is  a  signal  that  the  audience  or  inter- 
view is  ended. 

'-"Blameless":    "spotless."  3'<Bj-ight." 


326  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

through  her  heart.  She  was  wounded.  Her  patience 
was  lost,  and  sense  forsook  her  for  the  time.  Down 
she  fell,  and  her  attendants  ran  and  lifted  her  up. 
They  sprinkled  rose-water  on  her  face,  put  a  scent- 
bottle  to  her  nostrils,  and  she  presently  revived.  She 
was,  however,  still  motionless  and  speechless,  and  al- 
though several  inquired  the  cause  of  her  indisposition, 
she  returned  not  a  word  in  answer,  but  continued 
gazing  steadfastly  in  the  same  direction.  Then  it  was 
that  Nirmala  looked  down  from  the  window  and  dis- 
covered the  prince ;  and  after  hearing  all  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case  from  Chitrawat,  comforted  her 
friend  thus  :  "  O  princess,  your  sufferings  distract  me, 
and  make  me  lose  my  equanimit)'.  Why  are  you 
anxious  ?  Your  father  has  already  made  you  mistress 
of  your  own  hand,  and  it  depends  upon  your  choice 
to  marry  any  one  you  may  love.  Be  comforted  :  the 
youth  on  the  black  charger  shall  be  thine,  though  he 
should  be  even  an  angel.  Depend  on  me ;  I  will 
entrap  him  in  such  a  way  that  escape  will  be  altogether 
impossible."  She  then  deputed  a  female  go-between 
to  undertake  the  work. 

Boldly  did  this  woman  come  forward,  and  seizing 
the  reins  of  the  prince's  horse,  "  Knowest  thou,"  she 
asked  him,  "  that  the  poor  are  sacrificed  and  lovers 
impaled  here?  The  fair  lady  of  this  palace  can  bind 
the  hearts  of  all  in  her  glossy  tresses,  and  at  one  glance 
cast  them  dead  upon  the  earth.  Whence  is  thy  bold- 
ness, that  thou  easiest  thy  glance  on  the  mansions  of 


A   PROUD  BEAUTY  IN  LOVE.  327 

kings  ?  Art  thou  a  spark  able  to  melt  the  hearts  of  the 
fair  ones,  and  to  dissolve  their  stony  nature  ?  AMience 
art  thou  ?  What  country  dost  thou  inhabit  ?  A\'here 
is  thy  native  land?  And  what  is  thy  family?"  Taj  ul- 
Muliik  at  once  divined  that  she  was  sent  by  some  one, 
and  answered :  "  Silence !  Do  not  re-open  my  wounds. 
My  native  land  is  brighter  than  the  sun,  and  the  name 
of  it  is  known  to  emperors.  Tell  the  person  who  has 
deputed  you,  not  to  cast  a  glance  on  such  a  distressed 
traveller  as  myself,  nor  harbour  any  thoughts  in  her 
heart  that  may  have  the  slightest  reference  to  love  : 

Go  to  him  who  will  approve  thee  ; 
Love  him  only  who  can  love  thee." 

The  artful  go-between  then  ascertained  that  he  was  a 
prince  of  the  East,  that  his  name  was  Taj  ul-Muluk, 
and  that  his  connections  were  high.  These  particulars 
she  communicated  to  Chitrawat. 

After  this  the  prince  frequently  passed  along  the 
same  road,  so  that  he  might  have  an  opportunity  of 
looking  up  at  the  balcony.  Even  as  the  moon  wanes 
from  her  fourteenth  night,  so  did  the  health  and  spirits 
of  the  princess,  who  pined  inwardly  for  him.  She  tried 
long  to  keep  the  secret  to  herself,  but  her  attempt 
was  in  vain.  In  a  few  days  even  her  parents  came 
to  know  of  her  sufferings.  Her  father,  the  king, 
employed  an  accomplished  dame  to  repair  to  Taj 
ul-Muluk,  and  try  all  her  arts  to  bring  about  a 
marriage  between  him  and  his  daughter ;  at  all  events, 
to  endeavour  by  every  means  to  gain  his  heart.     The 


328  THE   ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

woman  faithfully  performed  her  mission  and  dwelt 
long  on  commendations  of  the  charms  of  the  princess. 
Taj  ul-Muliik  returned  his  respects  to  the  king,  and 
said  that  he  was  a  wanderer  from  his  country,  that  he 
had  exchanged  the  robes  of  royalty  for  the  troubles 
of  travelling,  and  that  he  had  alienated  himself  from 
relations  and  friends ;  therefore,  to  propose  an  alliance 
with  him  was  like  tracing  figures  on  water  and  tying 
the  wind  in  a  napkin. 

When  this  message  was  delivered  to  the  raja  it  made 
him  sadly  thoughtful,  and  drove  him  to  ask  counsel 
of  his  minister,  who  assured  him  that  it  was  not  a 
difificult  matter  for  the  king  to  bring  a  houseless 
stranger  into  subjection.  He  even  offered  to  under- 
take such  measures  as  should  ultimately  entrap  him  ; 
and  his  plan  was  to  bring  a  charge  of  theft  against  the 
prince.  Now  it  so  happened  that  the  pecuniar) 
resources  of  Taj  ul-Muluk  were  altogether  exhausted, 
and,  as  he  was  purposing  applying  to  Bakawali,  he 
recollected  the  jewel  which  he  had  taken  from  the 
serpent  and  concealed  in  his  thigh.  ^  He  sent  for  a 
surgeon  and  had  the  jewel  taken  out,  afterwards 
curing  the  wound  by  means  of  his  wonderful  oint- 
ment. When  he  had  fully  recovered,  he  took  the 
gem  to  the  bazar;  but  every  jeweller  was  struck  with 
surprise,  and  declared  himself  unable  to  pay  the  price. 
They  informed  the  vazi'r  that  a  stranger  had  come 
into  the  city,  wishing  to  dispose  of  a  jewel  which  none 

1  See  page  299. 


THE  PRINCE  IN  PRISON.  329 


but  the  king  could  purchase.  The  minister  on  hear- 
ing this  caused  the  stranger  to  be  arrested  and  brought 
before  him,  and  knowing  him  to  be  the  prince  with 
whom  Chitrawat  was  in  love,  he  lost  no  time  in  bring- 
ing a  charge  of  robbery  against  him  and  committing 
him  to  prison.  He  then  told  the  king  that  the  bird 
that  had  flown  away  from  the  cage  was  ensnared 
again,  and  would  doubtless  comply  with  the  wishes 
of  the  sovereign. 


CHAPTER   Vni. 

THE  PRINCE  IS  MARRIED  TO  CHITRAWAT,  BUT,  VISITING  BAKA- 
WALI  EVERY  NIGHT,  HIS  NEW  BRIDE  COMPLAINS  TO  HER 
FATHER  OF  HIS  INDIFFERENCE,  AND  THE  RAJA  SENDS  SPIES 
TO  DOG  HIS  STEPS — THE  TEMPLE  IS  DISCOVERED  AND  RAZED 
TO   THE    GROUND,    AND   THE    PRINCE    IS    IN    DESPAIR. 

Raja  Chitrasan  used  every  endeavour  to  make  the 
prince  suffer  all  the  woes  of  imprisonment  to  compel 
him  to  marry  his  daughter;  but  what  caused  the 
greatest  pang  in  the  heart  of  laj  ul-Muluk  was  his 
absence  from  Bakawali.  Night  and  day  he  wailed 
and  dashed  his  head  against  the  walls  and  door,  till  at 
length  the  gaoler  informed  the  king  that  the  new 
prisoner  was  suffering  much,  and  if  not  soon  released 
would  certainly  die,  and  his  blood  would  be  on  the 
king's  head.  To  this  the  king  answered  not  a  word, 
but  sending  for  his  daughter  desired  her  to  go  to  the 
prison  and  cast  the  shadow  of  her  bright  face  on  the 


330  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALI. 

prince.  "  Perhaps,"  said  he,  "  hke  the  moth,  he  may 
flutter  in  the  lustre  of  your  beauty,  and  his  pride  be 
reduced  to  ashes." 

Chitrawat  received  these  instructions  with  deHght. 
She  adorned  herself  with  all  care,  and  thus  heightened 
the  effect  of  all  her  natural  charms,  and  attended  by 
Nirmala  and  Chapala,  like  the  moon  with  Venus 
and  Mercury  in  her  train,  she  proceeded  to  the  prison. 
On  entering,  this  Zulaykha  encountered  her  lover, 
whose  beauty  was  still  equal  to  that  of  Joseph.^ 
In  all  her  loveliness  she  stood  before  him.  Her  teeth 
glittered  like  pearls  of  the  purest  water,  and  the  red- 
ness of  her  lips  would  have  shamed  the  blushing  ruby. 
Her  neck  shone  with  silvery  whiteness.  As  she 
moved,  the  richest  odours  were  diffused  from  her 
garments,  and  'itr'^  breathed  around  her  person.     Her 

1  The  story  of  Joseph  a.nd  Potiphar's  wife,  Zulaykha  (which 
was  her  name,  according  to  Muslim  legends),  is  a  favourite 
subject  of  several  Persian  poems.  She  is  said  to  have  visited 
the  young  Hel^rew  slave  in  prison,  but  he  would  not  gain  his 
liberty  at  the  cost  of  his  chastity.  Potiphar  is  represented  to 
have  been  a  eunuch.  In  the  end  Zulaykha  is  united  to  her 
beloved  Joseph. 

2  'itr-i gul — essence  of  roses.  Our  term  "otto"  is  a  corruption 
of  'itr  or  'attdr,  this  latter  word  also  signifies  a  perfumer,  or 
druggist. — Most  women,  I  suppose,  are  fond  of  perfumes,  but 
Eastern  ladies  are  passionately  so,  and  the  description  of  Chitra- 
wat as  being  so  highly  "scented"  that  the  finest  odours  were 
diffused  around  her,  is  fully  borne  out  by  travellers  and  Europeans 
who  have  resided  in  Egypt,  Turkey,  Persia,  etc.  The  sole 
nourishment  of  paris,  or  fairies,  it  is  said,  consists  of  perfumes — 
a  jDretty  idea,  if  nothing  more. 


THE  PRINCE   MARRIES  AGAIN.  331 

almond  eyes  were  enchanting  to  behold,  and  her 
amber  cheeks  spread  fragrance  far  and  near.  The 
dimples  on  her  chin  attracted  the  hearts  of  all  be- 
holders; but  virgin  modesty  forbade  her  to  expose 
to  view  the  pomegranates  of  her  breasts.  Nothing, 
however,  would  attract  the  notice  of  the  prince.  In  a 
word,  when  Chitrawat  found  that  the  magic  of  her 
eyes  and  the  fascination  of  her  brow  had  no  effect 
upon  the  heart  of  the  prince,  she  fell  before  him  and 
struggled  with  her  sufferings.  Then  it  was  that  the 
prince  felt  pity  and  drew  her  to  his  arms,  and  con- 
sented to  marry  her,  for  he  saw  that  unless  he  did  so 
there  was  no  chance  of  his  release. 

Nirmala  communicated  the  happy  intelligence  to 
the  raja,  and  informed  him  that  the  princess  had 
returned  home  successful  in  the  object  she  had  in 
view.  The  raja  immediately  ordered  the  liberation  of 
the  prince,  caused  him  to  be  taken  to  a  splendid 
bath  and  arrayed  in  royal  garments,  after  which  he 
appointed  a  mansion  for  his  use.  In  an  auspicious 
hour  he  joined  him  and  his  daughter  in  wedlock 
according  to  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  country. 
When  Taj  ul-^kluliik  entered  the  chamber  of  Chitra- 
wat, he  found  Nirmala  and  Chapala  in  attendance. 
They  received  him  with  great  warmth,  which  was  not 
returned  by  the  prince. 

'\^'hen  a  quarter  of  the  night  was  over,  he  rose  from 
the  nuptial  couch,  and  took  his  way  towards  Bakawali's 
temple,  where  that  fairy,  not  having  seen  him  for  some 


332  THE   ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

time,  was  longing  for  his  return.  As  soon  as  her  eyes 
fell  on  the  prince  her  heart  rejoiced,  but  the  moment 
she  saw  his  hands  and  feet  tinged  with  the  hue  of 
myrtle,  her  jasmine-like  face  reddened  with  anger.  ^ 
"Well,  prince,"  said  she,  in  a  taunting  manner,  "you 
have  come  at  last ;  but  what  a  fashion  you  have 
adopted  !  You  have  drowned  the  name  of  lover,  and 
shamed  the  character  of  faith  on  earth.  Henceforward 
never  dare  to  love,  or  proclaim  yourself  a  lover.  What 
hast  thou  done,  O  cruel  one  ?  Is  this  thy  gratitude, 
that,  while  I  am  changed  to  a  stone  here,  thy  fingers 
boast  the  redness  of  the  myrtle  ?  Whilst  I  pine  here 
in  loneliness,  thou  reposest  on  the  couch  of  luxury ; 
and  while  my  heart  is  breaking  for  thee,  thou  enjoyest 
pleasures  with  some  other  rosy-coloured  damsel !  While 
I  die  here  for  thee,  how  canst  thou  be  happy,  O  Taj 
ul-Muluk  ?  " 

On  hearing  these  words  the  prince  expressed  the 
sincerest  regret,  and  answered :  "  Beloved,  whither 
are  your  thoughts  wandering  ?  Although  I  am  a 
famous  prince,  yet  I  regard  myself  as  your  slave — all 
that  is  mine  is  also  thine.  From  the  day  when  I  first 
beheld  you,  nothing  has  pleased  me  so  much  as  the 
sight  of  your  charms.  Friends,  luxuries,  mirth,  music, 
my  mind  disowns  them  all  alike,  being  constantly 
fixed  on  you.  And  since  I  am  entirely  your  own, 
how  can  I  be  attracted  by  the  beauty  of  others?  Do 
not  mistrust  me :  my  love  is  too  sincere  to  suffer  any 

1  Because  these  were  signs  that  lie  was  newly  married. 


BAKAWALI  UPBRAIDS  HIM.  333 

change,  and  the  allegiance  I  owe  you  can  never  be 
turned  aside.  I  can  never  have  any  concern  with 
others  when  I  have  placed  life  and  death  in  your 
hands.  But  what  could  I  do  ?  I  was  powerless  and 
in  prison.  I  had  no  intention  whatever  of  marrying 
another,  but  had  I  not  done  so,  there  was  no  hope  of 
release.  If  I  had  not  complied  with  the  wish  of 
another,  how  could  I  have  seen  you  again  ?  I  should 
have  died  in  confinement,  and  you  would  have  re- 
mained pining  in  this  temple.     Hence  I  married."^ 

Bakawali  replied  in  wrath:  "Why  have  recourse  to 
such  falsehoods  ?  Can  any  one  be  married  by  com- 
pulsion ?  It  is  sufificient :  I  have  examined  your  faith 
and  love.  May  you  be  happy  !  I  will  remain  content 
\<'ith  my  misery,  knowing  well  that  in  the  day  of  dis- 
tress none  but  God  is  our  friend."  With  a  breaking 
heart  did  the  prince  hear  these  words.  He  heaved  a 
deep  sigh  and  wept.  Bakawali  could  not  endure  this ; 
she  joined  him  in  tears,  and  both  continued  sobbing 
for  some  time.  At  last  the  prince  fell  at  her  feet  and 
she  raised  and  embraced  him.  "  I  am  not  seriously 
angry  with  you,"  she  said;  "all  that  I  have  spoken 
was  but  to  try  your  fidelity.  I  am  happy  in  your 
happiness,  and  am  the  last  person  to  be  indignant 
with  you."     In  this  way  they  went  on,  till  the  prince 

1  A  manly,  straightforward,  even  touching  statement  in  defence 
of  his  conduct  in  peculiar  circumstances,  and  such  as  is  rarely 
met  with  in  an  Eastern  tale.  Our  author  is  here  at  his  best,  and 
this  is  saying  not  a  little. 


334  THE   ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

explained  how  he  was  compelled  to  marry  Chitrawat, 
and  at  length  succeeded  in  dispelling  all  suspicions 
from  her  mind.^  When  morning  dawned  he  returned 
home,  and  took  his  place  beside  his  new  bride. 

Thus  night  after  night  the  prince  passed  with  Baka- 
wali,  and  the  day  in  conversation  with  Chitrawat,  who 
was  naturally  very  much  out  of  temper  at  such  conduct. 
She  wondered  how  it  was  that  her  own  charms  had  no 
effect  on  the  heart  of  her  husband,  and  ultimately 
complained  to  her  father  of  the  ungracious  manner  in 
which  she  was  treated  by  the  prince.  Spies  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  king  to  watch  the  nocturnal  movements 
of  Taj  ul-Muluk.  They  discovered  him  wending  his 
way  to  the  temple  of  Bakawali,  where  he  passed  the 
night,  and  whence  he  returned  at  early  dawn.  Wheii 
the  king  was  informed  of  this,  he  caused  the  temple  to 
be  demolished  and  the  stones  cast  into  an  adjacent 
stream.  On  the  following  night,  Taj  ul-Muluk,  as 
usual,  went  to  visit  Bakawali,  and  finding  no  vestige 
of  the  temple,  he  rolled  on  the  ground  and  exclaimed  : 

"  If  I  of  thee  a  trace  could  find, 
To  that  spot  I'd  wilHng  go ; 
But  I'm  powerless:  if  the  earth 

Would  open  wide,  I'd  sink  below  !" 

At  length,  overcome  by  despair,  he  gave  free  vent  to 
his  tears,  and  finally  returned  home.  For  some  days 
sorrow  and  hopelessness  were  his  inseparable  com- 
panions ;  but  when  he  became  convinced  that  another 

1  "  The  falling  out  of  faithful  friends  renewing  is  of  love  !  " 


THE  SITE   OF   THE    TEMPLE.  335 

meeting  with  Bakawali  could  never  take  place,  and 
that  his  grief  was  of  no  avail,  he  turned  his  attention 
to  the  enchanting  conversation  of  Chitrawat,  and  then 
it  was  that  the  buds  of  her  hopes  expanded,  touched 
by  the  zephyr  of  his  love,  and  the  shell  of  her  desire 
was  made  fragrant  with  the  pearls  of  his  affection. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

BAKAWALI  IS  RE-BORN  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  A  FARMER — WHEN 
SHE  IS  OF  MARRIAGEABLE  AGE  THE  PRINCE  AND  CHITRAWAT 
MEET  HER  AND  THEY  ALL  THREE  PROCEED  TO  HIS  OWN 
COUNTRY,  WHERE  HE  IS  WELCOMED  AFFECTIONATELY  BY 
DILBAR  AND  MAHMUDA — BAHRAM,  THE  SON  OF  Z.A.YN  UL- 
MULUK'S  VAZIR,  FALLS  IN  LOVE  WITH  RUH-AFZ.'\,  THE 
COUSIN    OF    B.\K.\W.ALI. 

They  say  that  the  ground  on  which  the  temple  of 
Bakawali  once  stood  was  tilled  by  a  farmer,  who 
sowed  it  with  mustard-seed.  Taj  ul-Muluk  often 
repaired  thither  to  gaze  upon  the  fields,  which  were 
spread  with  carpets  of  the  richest  verdure.  \\'hen  the 
plants  emerged  from  the  soil  and  blossomed  the  prince 
visited  the  fields  each  morning  and  evening,  and  thus 
addressed  them  : 

' '  Flowers  of  the  field  !  how  fare  ye  here  ? 
Love's  fragrance  in  your  bloom  I  find  ; 
From  earth  emerging  ye  appear — 
Say,  where's  the  charmer  of  my  mind  ?  " 

In  due  time  the   mustard-plants  ripened,   and  the 
farmer  reaped  his  crop  and  put   it   in  the  oil  press. 


336  THE   ROSE    OF  BAKAWALL 

Peasants  are  generally  accustomed  to  try  the  first 
fruits  of  their  fields  themselves.  Hence  it  happened 
that  the  farmer's  wife,  partaking  of  a  dish  prepared 
with  the  oil  thus  produced,  became  pregnant,  although 
she  had  hitherto  been  sterile.  In  due  course  she 
gave  birth  to  a  fairy-faced  daughter,  whose  presence 
illumined  the  heretofore  dark  abode  of  the  farmer. 
It  was  soon  noised  abroad  that  a  hitherto  sterile 
woman  had  brought  forth  a  fair  daughter  through 
the  virtue  of  some  mustard  oil.  As  for  the  infant, 
the  neighbours  all  declared  that,  while  even  now  the 
splendour  of  her  countenance  eclipsed  that  of  the 
moon,  when  she  should  have  reached  her  fourteenth 
year  it  would  excel  the  glory  of  the  sun  itself 

When  Taj  ul-Muluk  heard  of  this  wonderful  occur- 
rence, he  summoned  the  farmer  and  his  babe  to  his 
presence ;  and  the  moment  he  cast  his  eyes  upon  the 
latter,  he  recognised  the  features  of  his  beloved,  and 
was  convinced  that  Bakawali  had  been  thus  re-born  in 
the  farmer's  humble  abode. ^  He  gave  the  farmer  a 
large  sum  of  money  and  desired  him  to  bring  up  the 
infant  with  every  possible  care.  When  she  was  seven 
years  of  age,  many  were  the  ai)plications  made  for  her 

1  The  doctrine  of  metempsychosis  has  no  place  in  the  creed 
of  Islam  and  it  is  quite  phenomenal  to  find  such  an  incident  as 
this  in  a  Muhammedan  work.  Many  Persian  and  Arabian 
fictions,  Hke  the  present  romance,  are  of  Indian  extraction,  but 
the  Hindu  characters  of  the  originals  are  always — with  only  this 
exception,  as  well  as  I  can  recollect — changed  to  good  Muslims. 


BAKAWALI  AND    THE  FARMER.  337 

hand  in  marriage ;  but  the  farmer,  rememlDering  that 
the  prince  had  shown  a  deep  interest  in  her  welfare, 
knew  not  how  to  decide.  To  all  he  replied  that 
when  the  girl  came  to  be  of  marriageable  age,  she 
should  have  free  permission  to  choose  her  husband. 
When  she  was  on  the  verge  of  her  tenth  year,^  Taj 
ul-Muluk  sent  a  messenger  to  her  father,  demanding 
the  hand  of  his  daughter  in  marriage.  The  farmer 
trembled  when  he  heard  this,  saying :  "  How  can  a 
poor  farmer  dare  to  make  the  king's  son-in-law  the 
husband  of  his  daughter?  Should  I  even  do  so, 
the  result  must  be  that  her  position  will  be  that  of  a 
slave ;  and  I  cannot  think  of  such  a  fate  for  my 
lovely  child.  When  Bakawali  heard  him  thus  soli- 
loquise, "Father,"  said  she,  "hear  me.  My  name 
is  Bakawali,  and  I  am  a  fairy.  Do  not  be  anxious 
on  my  account ;  for  the  rose  is  always  destined  to 
grace  the  head,  and  the  pearl  to  adorn  the  princely 
diadem.  In  answer,  desire  the  prince  to  wait  for 
a  few  days  more."  The  messenger  of  Taj  ul-Muluk 
returned  and  gave  him  an  account  of  all  that  he 
had  heard.      The  prince  was  highly  delighted ;    his 

1  In  India  early  marriages  of  girls  are  the  almost  invariable 
rule  ;  indeed  they  are  often  married,  or  betrothed,  in  infancy. 
A  Brahman  girl  who  grows  up  without  being  married  loses  her 
caste.  The  duty  of  choosing  a  husband  belongs  in  the  first  place 
to  her  father,  and  if  he  be  dead,  then  to  her  paternal  grandfather 
if  he  be  alive,  then  to  her  l)rother,  cousin,  and  lastly  to  her 
mother.  If  she  have  reached  the  age  of  eight  years  without 
having  been  provided  with  a  husband,  see  may  choose  for  herself. 

z 


338  THE  ROSE    OF  BAKAWALL 

sorrows  all  vanished.  He  rewarded  the  messenger 
and  dismissed  him. 

The  dark  days  of  Bakawali  having  passed  away, 
troops  of  fairies  now  came  to  visit  her,  and  with  them 
Saman-rii,  enrobed  with  richly-embroidered  garments, 
and  glittering  with  jewels,  and  seated  on  a  golden 
throne.  Bakawali  changed  her  dress,  put  on  her 
ornaments,  and  when  all  was  ready  she  addressed 
her  father,  saying  :  "Hitherto  I  have  been  your  guest; 
now  I  am  about  to  depart."  She  then  led  him  behind 
the  house,  and  pointed  out  a  spot  which  contained 
hidden  treasures  under  ground.  Then  she  left  him, 
and  ascending  the  throne,  guided  by  her  attendant 
fairies,  alighted  in  the  mansion  where  Taj  ul-Muluk 
was  sitting  in  company  of  Chitrawat,  Nirmala,  and 
Chapala.  Bakawali  entered  the  chamber  alone.  On 
approaching  Chitrawat  she  embraced  her  with  sisterly 
affection.  Chitrawat  was  so  much  struck  with  the 
beauty  of  Bakawali  that  she  sank  on  her  sofa  quite 
exhausted.  Then  Bakawali  recounted  her  adventures 
to  Taj  ul-Muluk,  and  heard  his  in  return.  She  asked 
Chitrawat  if  her  heart  still  glowed  with  love  for  the 
prince,  "  because,  if  so,  my  house  is  yours."  Chitra- 
wat replied  :  "  I  live  only  in  the  prince ;  and  when 
he  departs,  how  can  I  continue  to  live  ?  I  am  ready 
to  go  with  you." 

On  a  sign  from  l^akawalf,  her  attendants  made 
themselves  visible ;  and  it  is  related  that  when  they 
appeared,  Ceylon  was  so  densely  filled  that  no  space 


THE  PRINCE  RETURNS  HOME.  339 

of  four  fingers'  breadth  even  was  left  unoccupied  i^ 
confusion  reigned  throughout  the  city.  Even  the  king 
was  dismayed,  and  sought  the  shelter  of  his  palace. 
The  moment  he  entered  Taj  ul-Muluk  rose  to  greet 
him.  He  went  a  few  steps  in  advance,  and  led  the 
king  to  a  seat  on  his  own  throne.  He  then  gave  him 
a  detailed  history  of  his  love  for  Bakawali.  For  some 
time  the  king  seemed  much  distressed ;  but  at  length 
signs  of  joy  were  visible  in  his  countenance,  and  rising 
from  his  seat  he  placed  the  hands  of  his  daughter  into 
those  of  Bakawali,  saying :  "  I  trust  my  only  child  to 
you  ;  not,  indeed,  as  a  rival,  but  as  a  slave.  My  only 
hope  is,  that  you  will  not  withhold  your  kindness  from 
one  who  is  bound  to  regard  you  as  her  superior."  He 
then  gave  them  leave  to  depart. 

Taj  ul-Muluk  ascended  the  fairy  throne ;  Bakawali 
and  Chitrawat  sat  on  either  side  of  him ;  while  Nir- 
mala  and  Chapala  stood  respectfully  before  them.  In 
a  moment  the  throne  alighted  on  the  threshold  of 
Taj  ul-Muluk's  palace,  and  the  two  princesses  entered. 
Bahram,-  the  son  of  the  minister  of  Zayn-ul-Muliik, 
who  had  been  left  in  charge  of  the  palace  and  gardens 
of  the  prince,  came  forth  to  welcome  his  master  and 

1  Oriental  hyperbole,  of  which  we  have  a  veiy  striking  ex- 
ample in  the  last  verse  of  the  apostle  John's  gospel. 

2  Bahrain  is  the  Persian  name  of  the  planet  Mars ;  and  of  all 
who  have  ever  borne  the  name,  the  Persian  king  Bahram-i  Ghur 
(so  called  from  his  passion  for  hunting  the  wild  ass)  is  the  most 
renowned  in  song  or  storj-. 


.340  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALL 

mistress  home.  Taj  ul-Muluk  received  him  graciously, 
accepted  his  presents/  and  rewarded  him  with  a  robe 
of  honour.  He  then  entered  the  palace,  and  was 
received  with  the  utmost  delight  by  Mahmuda  and 
Dilbar,  with  whom,  as  well  as  with  Chitrawat  and 
Bakawali,  the  stream  of  life  glided  through  peace 
and  tranquility. 

Historians  relate  that  Taj  ul-Muluk  addressed  letters 
to  Firuz  Shah,  Muzaffar  Shah,  and  his  father,  com- 
municating to  them  the  happy  intelligence  of  his 
return.  The  perusal  of  these  letters  afforded  much 
pleasure  to  the  recipients,  who  forthwith  set  out  to 
meet  him.  Firiiz  Shah  and  Jamila  Khatiln  set  out  for 
the  East  attended  by  splendid  equipages.  Muzaffar 
Shah  and  Husn-ara  followed  their  example.  Zayn  ul- 
Muliik,  with  his  lawful  wife  for  his  companion,  and 
his  army  preceding  him,  went  after  the  other  princes 
to  the  country  of  Nighan'n,-  which  they  reached  in 
a  few  days.  They  observed  that  its  vicinity  was  so 
crowded  with  men  and  fairies  that  there  was  not 
sufficient  space  left  to  plant  a  seed  of  sesamum  even.^ 

1  In  the  East  no  person  ever  visits  his  superior  without  carry- 
ing in  his  hand  a  present  of  some  kind,  called  the  nazar  in 
Persian. — See  the  First  Book  of  Samuel,  ix,  7. 

2  To  wit,  Ahilk-i  NighiU-ln,  the  country  appropriated  by  Taj 
ul-Muliik,  where  he  caused  his  grand  jialacc  to  he  erected  by 
the  fairies. — See  ante,  p.  281. 

3  A  much  greater  "crush"  than  even  that  in  Ceylon! — see 
preceding  page. 


A   SLEEPING  BEAUTY.  341 

Taj  ul-AIuluk  and  Bakawali  were  highly  deUghted 
to  receive  their  guests.  Sorrow  departed  from  the 
heart  of  each.  Nought  was  heard  but  songs  and 
music — nought  was  seen  save  dancing  and  mirth. 
With  the  fourth  day  the  feast  ended,  and  the  princes 
departed,  highly  pleased  with  the  hospitality  of  Taj 
ul-Muluk.  But  Bakawali  prevailed  upon  Ruh-afza 
to  remain  with  her  a  few  days  longer,  and  a  carnelian 
room  was  set  apart  for  her  sleeping  chamber. 

It  happened  one  night,  when  Ruh-afza  was  sleeping 
near  the  window,  that  her  flowing  locks  descended 
therefrom,  and  a  bright  gem  was  glittering  in  one 
of  the  ribbons  that  tied  her  tresses.  At  that  time 
Bahram  was  roving  about,  enjoying  the  moonlight 
scene.  As  he  approached  the  window,  his  eyes  fell 
on  the  gem  glittering  there.  He  thought  that  a 
dragon  was  holding  his  jewel  in  his  mouth.^  But  on 
looking  more  attentively,  he  perceived  that  it  was  a 
ruby  glittering  in  a  lock  of  hair  which  had  escaped 
from  the  window.  He  then  supposed  that  the  room 
must  be  occupied  by  Bakawali,  and  that  the  lock 
of  hair  was  hers.  All  that  night  he  knew  no  rest. 
When  morning  dawned  he  could  restrain  himself 
no  longer.  He  asked  Saman-rii  whose  chamber 
that  was,  and  she  told  him  it  was  Ruh-afza's.  The 
moment  he  heard  this  the  fire  of  love  blazed  in 
his  heart,  and  maniac-like  he  wandered  to  and  fro. 
The  next  midnight  he  watched  for  an  opportunity, 

1  See  ante,  notes  on  pp.  232  and  297. 


342  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

applied  a  scaling-ladder  to  the  window,  and  entered 
the  chamber.  There  he  saw  the  rival  of  Venus 
sleeping  gracefully  on  a  golden  bed.  Beholding  this, 
he  became  senseless,  like  one  intoxicated,  and  as  he 
was  yet  a  stranger  to  the  pleasure  which  was  now 
stealing  through  his-  veins,  incontinently  he  threw 
himself  on  the  bed,  embraced  the  fairy  and  kissed  her 
rapturously.  That  instant  Riih-afza  started  up  and 
found  that  the  intruder  was  Bahram  ;  and  though  she 
secretly  loved  him,  she  was  displeased  at  this  breach 
of  the  rules  of  decency.  She  pretended  to  be  highly 
offended  and  slapped  him  till  he  was  fairly  pushed  out 
of  the  window,  and  Bahram  retired  weeping  to  his 
own  apartment. 

Next  morning  Riih-afza  begged  permission  of  Baka- 
wali  to  depart:  and  although  the  latter  endeavoured 
to  persuade  her  to  prolong  her  visit,  she  was  resolute, 
for  she  was  well  aware  that  if  Bakawali  came  to  know 
of  the  incident  of  the  last  night,  she  would  laugh 
at  her  and  plague  her  with  her  sarcastic  remarks. 
At  length  she  bade  adieu  to  her  fair  hostess,  and 
set  out  for  the  island  of  Firdaus.  Ikit  love  accom- 
panied her;  for  her  thoughts  were  only  of  Bahram. 
No  comfort  came  to  her  by  day,  and  no  rest  through 
the  live-long  night.  Her  eyes  were  always  moist  with 
tears,  and  the  simum  of  grief  withered  the  bloom  of 
her  cheeks. 


.-/   LOVE -SICK    YOUTH.  343 


CHAPTER   X. 

BAHRAM  IS  LONG  LOVE -SICK,  BUT  BY  THE  HELP  OF  TWO  SYM- 
PATHISING FAIRY  DAMSELS  IS  FINALLY  UNITED  TO  THE 
BEAUTIFUL   RUH-AFZA,    AND    ALL    ENDS    HAPPILY. 

Meanwhile  Bahram  became  thinner  and  thinner 
every  day;  but  Saman-ru  alone  knew  the  cause.  She 
was  constantly  advising  him  to  chase  away  from  his 
heart  that  love  for  a  person  of  another  race,  which 
could  only  render  him  unhappy.  "The  example," 
said  she,  "  of  the  perfect  union  which  exists  between 
Taj  ul-Muluk  and  Bakawali  should  not  lead  you 
astray.  It  is  a  happy  exception.  But  it  is  contrary 
to  the  nature  of  things  for  a  human  being  to  join 
himself  to  one  of  etherial  substance."  These  words 
made  no  impression  on  the  mind  of  Bahram,  and 
when  she  saw  that  the  thorn  of  love  had  pierced  so 
deeply  into  his  heart  that  it  was  hopeless  to  attempt 
its  extraction,  she  declared  that  all  she  could  do 
was  to  conduct  him  to  Firdaus.  Bahram  eagerly 
accepted  this  offer,  and  Saman-ru  then  clothed  him 
in  women's  apparel,  which  suited  him  well,  as  he 
was  yet  beardless,  and  carried  him  through  the  air 
to  Firdaus,  to  the  house  of  her  sister,  called  Banaf- 
sha,  ^  who  was  hair-dresser  to  Riih-afza.  The  latter 
was  delighted  at  seeing  Saman-ru,  and  at  once  asked 
who  was  the  young  lady  whom  she  had  brought  with 

1  "Violet." 


344  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

her.  "She  is  one  of  my  friends,"  said  she,  "who 
desires  to  see  this  country.  I  have  taken  the  Hberty 
of  bringing  her  to  you,  in  hopes  that  you  will  be 
so  good  as  to  show  her  all  the  sights."  "Certainly," 
said  Banafsha;  "I  am  willing  to  do  anything  that 
might  please  you."  After  this  Saman-ru  returned  to 
Bakawali,  and  Bahram  remained  in  the  house  of 
Banafsha,  who  showed  her  every  kindness,  led  her 
each  day  into  a  different  garden,  and  pointed  out 
everything  worth  seeing;  in  the  evening  she  dis- 
charged her  duties  as  hair-dresser  to  Riih-afza. 

One  evening  Banafsha  presented  Bahram  to  her 
young  mistress,  as  a  friend  of  Saman-rii.  She  at  once 
recognised  Bahram,  in  spite  of  his  disguise,  but  dis- 
sembled so  well  that  he  believed  she  did  not  know 
him.  She  induced  Banafsha  to  leave  the  young 
person  with  her.  Therefore  she  withdrew  and  Bahram 
remained  with  his  mistress.  And  when  the  Eternal 
Designer  of  the  affairs  of  this  world  had  illumed 
the  earth  with  the  clear  light  of  the  moon,  Riih-afza 
led  Bahram  into  her  private  chamber,  and  said : 
"What  is  your  name,  madam?"  He  replied:  "I  have 
had  no  name  for  a  long  time  :  I  only  know  yours." 
"Why  have  you  come  here?"  "Ask  the  taper: 
it  will  tell  you  why  the  moth  throws  itself  into  the 
flame."  These  pleasant  words  gratified  Riih-afza, 
but,  affecting  a  severe  countenance,  she  said :  "  You 
are  deceiving  me;  for  I  observe  from  your  words 
that  you  are  not  a  woman.     You  have  entered  here 


A   LOVE -SICK   YOUTH.  345 

by  false  pretences,  and  have  thus  exposed  my  honour 
to  the  wind.  Say,  yourself,  what  punishment  does 
such  hardihood  deserve?"  Poor  Bahram,  who  was 
quite  ignorant  of  the  artifices  of  coquetry,  and  re- 
membered the  hard  blows  of  his  mistress  on  a  former 
occasion,  thought  that  she  was  about  to  strike  him 
again  and  drive  him  from  her  presence.  He  trembled 
through  fear  and  repeated  these  verses  : 

"  Kill  me  ;  for  better  'tis  to  die  before 
Thy  sight,  than  live  to  suffer  more  and  more.'" 

Then  he  fell  down  quite  unconscious,  and  Ruh-afza. 
not  being  able  to  carry  her  feigned  severity  farther, 
ran  up  to  him,  put  his  head  on  her  knees,  showered 
kisses  on  him,  and  by  the  sweet  perfume  of  her  breath 
brought  back  his  senses. 

When  Bahram  opened  his  eyes  he  perceived  that 
he  had  assumed  the  role  of  the  Rose  and  Riih-afza 
that   of  the  Nightingale.^      Soon   did    he  forget    his 

1  "To  account  for  the  allegorical  passion  entertained  by  the 
nightingale  for  the  rose,  which  is  the  subject  of  so  much  beauti- 
ful imager}'  in  Persian  poetrj',  we  must  consider,"  says  Sir 
William  Ouseley,  "that  the  plaintive  voice  of  that  sweet  bird 
is  first  heard  at  the  same  season  of  the  year  in  which  the  rose 
begins  to  blow.  By  a  natural  association  of  ideas  they  are 
therefore  connected  as  the  constant  and  inseparable  attendants 
of  the  spring.  It  is  probable,  too,  that  the  nightingale's 
favourite  retreat  may  be  the  rose-garden,  and  the  leaves  of  that 
flower  occasionally  its  food  ;  but  it  is  certain  that  he  is  delighted 
with  its  odour  and  sometimes  indulges  the  fragrant  luxurj'  (if 
I  may  be  allowed  the  expression)  to  such  excess  as  to  fall  from 


346  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

former  vexations.  Ruh-afza,  who  was  violently  in  love 
with  him,  did  not  wish  him  to  leave  her,  so  to  conceal 
him  from  the  looks  of  the  malicious  she  fastened  round 
his  neck  a  talisman  which  changed  him  into  a  bird.^ 
In  this  form  she  kept  him  in  a  golden  cage,  which 
was  hung  up  before  her  eyes  during  the  day,  but  at 
night  she  caused  him  to  come  out,  and  restored  him 
to  his  proper  shape.  This  continued  for  some  time  ; 
but,  as  the  Hindu  proverb  says,  "  love  and  musk  can- 
not be  long  hidden";  and  Husn-ara  began  to  suspect 
that  all  was  not  as  it  should  be  with  her  daughter. 
One  morning,  at  daybreak,  she  went  to  her  daughter's 
chamber,  and  beating  her,  exclaimed :  "  You  have 
drowned  yourself  in  a  vase  full  of  water  !  You  are 
lost  to  all  shame  !  You  have  disgraced  the  name  of 
your  father  !  Let  me  at  least  know  the  name  of  your 
audacious  accomplice,  else  I  will  strangle  you  with 
my  own  hands  ! "  These  violent  words  caused  Ruh- 
afza  to  tremble.  "  Dispel,  my  dear  mother,"  said  she, 
"your  vain  dream.  I  have  never  seen  a  mortal  but 
at   a  distance.      Should  a  kind  mother  believe   the 

the  branch  intoxicated  and  helpless  to  the  ground."-— /Vmaw 
Miscellanies,  p.  91. 

1  The  transformation  of  a  man  into  a  bird  occurs  very  often 
in  Asiatic  fictions  :  there  are  numerous  instances  in  the  Kathd 
Sarit  Sdgm-a  and  other  Indian  collections.  This  is  commonly 
done  by  fastening  a  string  round  the  victim's  neck,  or  sticking  a 
pin  in  his  head,  and  uttering  certain  magical  words  ;  and  by 
removing  the  string  or  the  pin  the  man  is  at  once  restored  to  his 
natural  form. 


MAGICAL    TRANSFORMATION.  347 

gossiping  reports  of  strangers?"  But  in  spite  of  her 
most  vehement  protestations,  her  mother  believed  her 
not ;  she  insisted  that  the  ravisher  who  was  in  the 
house  should  be  seized  and  punished  as  he  deserved. 
By  her  order  cunning  spies  were  employed  to  search 
for  Bahram — in  the  earth,  the  air,  and  the  sea,  but 
without  success  :  they  were  all  ignorant  of  the  secret 
of  the  golden  cage.^  Husn-ara,  despairing  at  the  fail- 
ure of  her  spies,  scolded  her  daughter's  maids,  and 
threatened  them  with  the  wrath  of  Muzaffar  Shah ; 
whereupon  one  of  them,  called  Gul-rukh,-  pointed 
out  the  mysterious  cage,  saying  that  she  had  often 
observed  Riih-afza,  both  night  and  day,  caressing  the 
dove  which  was  shut  up  in  it ; — might  it  not^  be  sur- 
mised that  there  was  some  secret  in  that  circumstance? 
Immediately  Husn-ara  proceeded  to  her  daughter's 
chamber  and  seized  hold  of  the  cage.  Riih-afza,  with 
horror  and  dismay,  saw  her  beloved  bird  in  the  talons 
of  the  falcon ;  but,  trembling  for  herself,  she  dared  not 
utter  a  word,  still  less  could  she  snatch  it  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  fowler  of  destiny.  Husn-ara  carried  the 
cage  to  her  husband,  who  drew  out  the  bird,  and  felt 
its  wings  and  all  its  feathers  to  see  if  he  could  discover 
any  talisman.    At  last  he  found  what  was  on  the  bird's 

1  Here,  in  the  original,  the  pious  author  thus  addresses  his 
reader  :  "  My  friend,  you  are  as  blind  as  they  !  Vou  seek  at 
Heaven's  footstool  for  the  Being  who  dwells,  without  your 
suspecting  it,  in  the  habitation  of  your  own  heart.  You  seek 
far,  far  away,  when  he  is  quite  near."     Cf.  Acts,  xvii,  27. 

2  "  Rose-cheek." 


348  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

neck,  and  on  removing  it,  Bahram  appeared  before 
him  in  his  natural  form.  The  attendants  were  greatly 
astonished,  and  Muzaffar  Shah,  wild  with  passion,  said 
to  Bahram:  "Wicked  wretch  !  fear  you  not  my  anger? 
Death  alone  can  punish  thy  audacity  !  "  "  Sire,"  re- 
plied Bahram,  "  I  fear  not  death  ;  but  I  shall  deeply 
regret  my  beloved  mistress  in  leaving  life ;  and  even  in 
my  grave  a  stream  of  blood  will  flow  from  my  eyes."^ 
The  anger  of  Muzaffar  Shah,  far  from  being  appeased 
by  these  words,  increased  to  such  a  height  that  he 
gave  orders  to  his  people  to  go  outside  the  city  and 
throw  Bahram  into  the  fire,  so  that  he  should  be 
reduced  to  ashes. 

By  good  fortune,  Taj  ul-Muluk  and  Bakawali  were 
at  that  moment  walking  together  in   the  garden  of 

1  Oriental  poetry  abounds  in  conceits  of  this  kind.  Thus 
Wasif,  the  celebrated  Persian  historian  and  poet,  apostrophises 
his  lady-love  :  "  The  impression  of  the  happy  moments  passed 
in  thy  loved  presence  will  never  be  obliterated  from  the  tablet  of 
my  heart,  whilst  the  world  revolves  and  the  stars  continue  their 
course.  The  pen  of  intense  love  has  so  vividly  written  Eternal 
Affection  on  the  page  of  my  soul,  that  if  my  body  languish,  na)-, 
even  if  my  life  expire,  that  soft  impress  will  remain  " — But  our 
own  poet  Cowley  is  not  a  whit  less  extravagant  when  he  declares  : , 

"  Let  Nature,  if  she  please,  disperse 
My  atoms  over  all  the  universe  ; 
At  the  last  they  easily  shall 
Themselves  know,  and  together  call ; 
For  thy  love,  like  a  mark,  is  stampt  on  all — 

ALL   OVER    LOVP:  ! 


AJV  ADVOCATE    OF   THE    YOUTH.  349 

Irani,  and  as  they  were  not  far  from  Jazi'na-Firdaus, 
they  determined  to  visit  Riih-afza.  On  going  thither 
they  passed  the  very  spot  where  Bahram  was  about  to 
be  burnt.  He  was  already  on  the  fatal  pyre,  with  the 
ilames  surrounding  him.  Bakawali,  seeing  the  pyre 
and  the  great  crowd  around  it,  ordered  her  chariot  to 
draw  near  and  cried  out :  "  Extinguish  the  fire  and 
bring  that  young  man  to  me.  I  shall  cause  a  thousand 
of  you  to  be  put  to  death,  if  you  do  not — ay,  and 
raze  all  your  houses  to  the  ground  ! "  These  threats 
greatly  disconcerted  the  officials,  so  they  put  out  the 
fire  and  led  Bahram  before  the  princess,  who  made 
him  enter  her  chariot,  and  conducted  him  into  a  quiet 
garden,  where  leaving  him  with  Taj  ul-Muliik,  she  then 
proceeded  to  visit  Muzaffar  Shah  and  Husn-ara,  who 
received  her  with  the  greatest  kindness,  and  after 
embracing  her,  inquired  the  occasion  of  her  visit. 
"It  is  mere  chance,"  said  she,  " which  brings  me  to 
you  ;  but  I  have  seen  on  my  way  hither  an  incident 
which  caused  me  great  pain  :  some  of  your  people 
were  about  to  burn  the  son  of  my  father-in-law's  vazir, 
and,  but  for  my  interference,  he  would  ere  this  have 
been  reduced  to  ashes.  Why  did  you  dream  of  giving 
such  instructions  ?  Would  his  death  change  anything 
that   has    occurred  ?      AVould    it   efface  the   tika  ^   of 

1  The  tika  is  a  round  piece  of  clay,  paint,  or  tissue  on  the 
forehead  of  a  Hindu,  indicating  his  caste.  Amongst  Hindus 
generally  it  means  the  circular  mark  made  with  coloured  earths, 
or  unguents,  on  the  forehead.    It  is  curious  that  this  purely  Hindii 


350  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

slander  ?  Supposing  a  hundred  persons  already  know 
of  the  adventure  of  Ruh-afza,  presently  it  will  be 
known  to  thousands.  What  you  should  rather  do  is 
pardon  Bahram  his  fault,  and  marry  him  to  your 
daughter ;  for  he  is  full  of  spirit  and  of  a  handsome 
appearance.  If  you  despise  human  nature  so  much, 
why  did  you  marry  me  to  Taj  ul-Muliik  ?  Is  there 
any  difference  betw^een  your  daughter  and  me?" 

Muzaffar  Shah  bent  his  head  on  hearing  this 
remonstrance,  and  said  he  would  think  over  it.  Then 
Bakawali  went  in  search  of  Riih-afza  and  found  her  in 
tears ;  but  patting  her  on  the  head  she  said  smilingly : 
"  You  have  cried  enough ;  wash  yourself,  change  your 
dress,  and  come  forth  from  your  cell.  I  have  brought 
back  your  lover,  safe  and  sound,  and  hope  that  you 
will  soon  be  married."  Ruh-afza  thanked  Bakawali 
and  embraced  her  most  affectionately,  and  the  cousins 
remained  together  all  night.^  On  the  morrow^  Baka- 
wali led  Ruh-afza  before  her  parents  to  be  reconciled 
to  them,  after  which  she  set  out  with  Taj  ul-Muluk 
and  Bahram  for  Jazira-i   Iram.      She  related  to  her 

term  should  have  been  retained  by  a  Muslim  writer ;  but  it  is 
another  indication  of  the  Indian  origin  of  the  romance. 

1  Although  Bakawali  and  Riih-afza  are  supposed  to  be  fairies, 
yet  they  act  as  real  flesh-and-blood  women.  And  how  like  is 
this  charming  little  scene  between  the  two  affectionate  girls  to 
what  has  doubtless  occurred  thousands  of  times  amongst  our- 
selves !  If  there  lie,  as  that  shrewd  observer  -Sam  Slick  assures 
us,  "a  deal  of  human  natur'  in  man,"  there  is,  as  certainly,  a 
deal  of  ivotnan  nature  in  woman  all  the  world  over. 


HIS  HAPPY  MARRIAGE.  351 

father  and  mother  the  story  of  Riih-afza  and  Bahram, 
and  persuaded  them  to  do  for  the  latter,  without  loss 
of  time,  what  her  uncle  had  done  for  Taj  ul-Muluk. 
They  agreed,  and,  having  clothed  Bahram  in  royal 
robes,  proceeded  in  great  state  to  Firdaus,  where 
suitable  arrangements  had  been  made  to  receive  the 
marriage  procession,  which  soon  arrived  at  the  palace 
of  Muzaffar  Shah.  The  wedding  guests  were  con- 
ducted into  the  reception  room,  where  dance  and 
music  continued  the  whole  night.  After  the  ceremony 
of  the  collar  and  betel,  they  brought  the  bridegroom 
into  the  interior  of  the  palace,  in  order  to  accomplish 
the  formalities  which  still  remained  to  be  performed. 
Bakawali  behaved  towards  Bahram  as  though  she  had 
been  his  sister.  She  held  for  him  the  Kuran  and  the 
looking-glass,  and  made  him  drink  the  cup  half- 
emptied  by  Riih-afza.^  When  all  these  ceremonies 
had  been  performed,  Muzaffar  Shah  and  Husn-ara  gave 
to  their  daughter,  on  the  day  of  separation,  a  consider- 
able dowry,  great  quantity  of  ready  money  as  well  as 
jewels  and  slaves.  Firuz  Shah  and  Taj  ul-Muluk  at 
the  head  of  the  nuptial  procession  returned  to  Jazir-i 
Iram,  where  they  continued  the  festive  rejoicings  for 

1  For  descriptions  of  the  marriage  ceremonies  among  the 
Muhammedans  of  India  see  Herklots'  translation  of  the  Qanoon-i 
Islam,  p.  93  ff.  ;  Observations  on  the  Mussiihnans  of  Ifidia,  by 
Mrs.  Meer  Hasan  Ali,  vol.  i,  p.  352  ff.  ;  and  a  paper  on  Hindu 
and  Muhammedan  marriage  ceremonies,  by  Col.  C.  Mackenzie, 
in  the  Trans,  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  vol.  iii,  p.  170  ff. 


352  THE  ROSE   OF  BAKAWALI. 

several  days,  after  which  Bakawah'  and  her  devoted 
husband  conducted  Bahram  and  his  bride  in  great 
splendour  to  Mulk-i  Nigharin.  The  father  and  mother 
of  Bahram  were  overjoyed  at  the  sight  of  their  beloved 
son,  and  warmly  expressed  their  gratitude  to  Bakawali, 
who  had  brought  him  such  great  good  fortune.  To 
celebrate  the  marriage  of  his  son,  the  vazi'r  gave  a 
grand  banquet,  to  which  great  and  small  were  alike 
invited,  and  even  the  king  himself  honoured  it 
with  his  presence.  The  festival  continued  for  several 
days.  Everybody  received  presents ;  money  was  dis- 
tributed in  abundance — ^'all  were  delighted.  After  the 
king  had  been  escorted  back  to  his  palace  and  all  the 
guests  had  retired  to  their  homes,  Bakawali  summoned 
Hammala,  and  ordered  her  to  transport  her  palace  to 
that  spot,  which  was  soon  accomplished,  when  she 
presented  it  to  Ruh-afza  and  Bahram  for  their  resid- 
ence. Thus  terminated  the  adventures  of  these  lovers  : 
each  was  content  and  happy. 

MAY    GOD    GRANT    TO    EACH    OF    US    THE    LIKE 
FAVOUR  ! 


PERSIAN    STORIES. 


PERSIAN    STORIES. 


THE   THREE   DECEITFUL   WOMEN. 

ONCE  on  a  time  there  were  three  whales  of  the  sea 
of  fraud  and  deceit — three  dragons  of  the  nature 
of  thunder  and  the  quickness  of  hghtning — three  de- 
famers  of  honour  and  reputation — in  other  words, 
three  men-deceiving,  lascivious  women,  each  of  whom 
had,  from  the  chancery  of  her  cunning,  issued  the 
diploma  of  turmoil  to  a  hundred  cities  and  countries, 
and  in  the  arts  of  fraud  they  accounted  Satan  as  an 
admiring  spectator  in  the  theatre  of  their  stratagems. 
One  of  them  was  sitting  in  the  court  of  justice  of  the 
Kazi's  embraces ;  the  second  was  the  precious  gem 
of  the  bazar-master's  diadem  of  compliance ;  and  the 
third  was  the  beazle  and  ornament  of  the  signet-ring 
of  the  life  and  soul  of  the  superintendent  of  police. 
They  were  constantly  entrapping  the  fawns  of  the 
prairie  of  deceit,  with  the  grasp  of  cunning,  and 
plundering  the  wares  of  the  caravan  of  tranquility  of 


356  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

the  hearts  of  both  strangers  and  acquaintances  by  means 
of  the  edge  of  the  scimitar  of  fraud.  ^ 

One  day  this  trefoil  of  roguery  met  at  the  public 
bath,  and,  according  to  their  homogeneous  nature, 
they  intermingled  as  intimately  as  a  comb  with  the 
hair :  they  tucked  up  the  garment  of  amity  to  the 
waist  of  union,  entered  the  tank  of  agreement,  seated 
themselves  in  the  hot-house  of  love,  and  poured  from 
the  dish  of  folly,  by  means  of  the  key  of  hypocrisy, 
the  water  of  profusion  upon  the  head  of  intercourse ; 
they  rubbed  with  the  brush  of  familiarity  and  the  soap 
of  affection  the  stains  of  jealousies  from  each  other's 
limbs.  After  a  while,  when  they  had  brought  the  pot 
of  concord  to  boil  by  the  fire  of  mutual  laudation, 
they  warmed  the  bath  of  association  with  the  breeze 
of  kindness  and  came  out.-     In  the  dressing-room  all 


1  Truly  a  most  promising  beginning  !  Such  is  the  inflated 
style  which  alone  is  appreciated  by  the  modern  Persians  and  the 
Muslims  of  India.  For  since  the  decline  of  literature  in  Persia 
— which  began  soon  after  the  death  of  the  justly-celebrated  poet 
Jami,  in  a.d.  1492 — the  compositions  of  Persian  authors  have 
been  chiefly  characterised  by  puerile  conceits  and  meaningless 
plays  upon  words  and  phrases,  for  which  indeed  the  language 
furnishes  every  facility.  Nevertheless,  the  reader  can  hardly 
fail  to  be  highly  diverted  with  the  following  talc,  which  the 
writer  has  simply  re-dressed  in  his  own  style,  for  assuredly  he 
was  not  its  inventor. 

2  Here  the  author  is  employing  the  various  processes  of  the 
Eastern  bath  in  describing  the  chattering  of  three  ladies  who 
have  "foregathered  "  there. — "The  Persian  ladies,"  says  Sir  R. 


THE    THREE  DECEITFUL    WOMEN.  357 

three  of  them  happened  simultaneously  to  find  a  ring, 
the  gem  of  which  surpassed  the  imagination  of  the 
Jeweller  of  Destiny/  and  the  like  of  which  he  had 
never  beheld  in  the  store-house  of  possibility.  The 
finger  of  covetousness  of  each  of  the  three  ladies 
pointed  to  the  ring,  and  the  right  of  its  possession 
became  the  object  of  dispute  among  them.  But  after 
their  controversy  had  been  protracted  to  an  undue 
length,  the  mother  of  the  bathman,-  who  had  for 
years  practised  under  the  sorceress  Shamsah-^  and  had 
learnt  all  sorts  of  tricks  from  her,  stepped  forward 
and  said  :  "I  am  a  woman  who  has  seen  the  world, 

Ker  Porter,  in  his  Travels  in  Georgia,  Persia,  etc.,  vol.  i,  233, 
"  regard  the  bath  as  the  place  of  their  greatest  amusement ;  they 
make  appointments  to  meet  there,  and  often  pass  seven  or  eight 
hours  together  in  the  carpeted  saloon,  telling  stories,  relating 
anecdotes,  eating  sweetmeats,  sharing  their  kalyouns  [pipes]  and 
embellishing  their  beautiful  forms  with  all  the  fancied  perfection 
of  the  East ;  dyeing  their  hair  and  eyebrows ;  and  curiously 
staining  their  fair  bodies  with  a  variety  of  fantastic  devices,  not 
unfrequently  with  the  figures  of  trees  and  birds,  the  sun,  moon, 
and  stars." 

1  A  purely  imaginaiy  personage,  of  course,  invented  and  intro- 
duced by  the  author,  because  he  had  just  mentioned  a  ring  set 
with  a  fine  gem. — The  reader  will  find  many  similar  absurdities 
in  the  course  of  the  narrative,  and  I  need  make  no  farther  remark 
upon  them. 

2  Eastern  baths  are  used  by  men  and  women  on  different  days 
of  everj'  week. 

3  Shamsah  is  the  name  of  a  sorceress  who  figures  in  several 
Asiatic  fictions. 


358  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

and  I  have  experienced  many  events  of  this  kind. 
Something  has  occurred  to  me  with  reference  to  this 
matter,  and  if  you  will  listen  to  my  advice  your  diffi- 
culty will  be  solved.  As  I  am  a  faithful  and  honest 
person,"  the  old  woman  continued,  "  you  may  entrust 
this  ring  to  me.  Each  of  you  must  sow  the  seed  of 
deception  into  the  field  of  her  husband's  folly,  and 
she  whose  arrow  of  fraud  shall  settle  deepest  in  the 
target  of  her  husband's  imbecility,  and  the  rose  of 
whose  act,  being  watered  by  the  art  and  care  of  dili- 
gence, shall  flourish  more  than  the  plants  of  her 
competitors,  shall,  after  due  investigation  by  myself, 
be  put  in  possession  of  the  much-coveted  ring."  All 
three  of  them  agreed  to  this  proposal,  and  surrendered 
the  ring  to  the  old  hag.  The  wife  of  the  Kazi  said  : 
"  I  shall  be  the  first  who  writes  the  incantation  upon 
the  name  of  the  Kazi."  Accordingly  they  dressed 
in  the  robe  of  cunning,  put  on  the  mantle  of  de- 
ception, and  departed  to  their  respective  domiciles. 

The   Trick  of  the  KdzCs    Wife. 

In  the  first  place,  the  wife  of  the  Kazi  sat  down 
in  the  court  of  meditation  and  arrangement,  and 
having  for  the  purpose  of  solving  this  problem  opened 
the  directory  of  falsehood,  she  perused  it  with  great 
diligence,  scanning  it  from  paragraph  to  paragraph, 
from  the  preface  to  the  conclusion.  It  so  happened 
that  a  carpenter  who  was  the  Kazi's  neighbour  had 


THE  KAZrS    WIFE.  359 

long  paid  attentions  to  the  wife  of  the  latter.  He 
chopped  the  tablet  of  his  heart  with  the  axe  of  un- 
easiness, and  scratched  the  board  of  his  body  with  the 
plane  of  lamentation;  he  was  in  constant  motion  like 
a  saw,  and  though  all  his  limbs  were  like  a  grating 
turned  into  eyes,  and  he  was  sitting  on  the  chair 
of  expectation,  he  was  not  able  to  attain  his  object: 
so  that  the  hatchet  of  longing  and  burning  felled 
the  palm-tree  of  his  patience  and  equanimity,  and  his 
heart  was  perforated  by  the  auger  of  this  grief.  As 
the  wife  of  the  Kazi  was  aware  of  the  sufferings  of  the 
carpenter,  she  called  her  confidential  slave-girl  and 
said  to  her:  "O  thou  Violet^  of  the  garden  of  har- 
mony, the  flower  of  whose  body  I  have  so  long  cher- 
ished in  the  parterre  of  education!  I  have  a  little 
business  which  I  mean  to  discharge  this  day  by  the 
aid  of  thy  intimacy.  If  thou  wilt  accomplish  it 
cheerfully,  I  shall  ransom  thee  with  my  own  money, 
and  rejoice  thy  heart  with  various  gifts."  The  girl 
replied:  "Whatever  my  mistress  orders,  it  is  my  duty 
to  perform."  The  wife  of  the  Kazi  said:  "Go,  un- 
observed by  any  one,  to  the  carpenter  and  tell  him 
that  the  flame  of  his  love  has  taken  effect  on  my 
heart;  that  I  am  aware  of  his  having  suffered  tor- 
ments on  account  of  my  unkindness;  and  that  on  the 
day  of  resurrection  I  shall  have  to  answer  for  the 
sufferings   I    have  cau.sed    to  him:    I    am   quite  em- 

1  Banafsha  :  Violet,  the  name  of  the  girl. 


36o  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

barrassed  in  this  matter,  and,  in  order  to  remove  this 
awful  responsibility,  I  am  prepared  now  to  make  good 
my  past  transgressions,  and  to  meet  him  if  he  will 
dig  an  underground  passage  between  this  house  and 
his  own,  so  that  we  may  be  enabled  to  pluck  the 
roses  of  mutual  love  whenever  we  choose,  and  com- 
municate freely  by  means  of  this  passage."  The 
maid  went  to  the  carpenter,  and  caused  by  the 
nectar  of  her  eloquence  this  message  to  bloom  in 
his  garden  of  hope.  He  presented  the  girl  with 
a  thousand  dinars^  and  said: 

"  I  would  ransom  thee  with  my  life, 

0  idol  of  the  garden  of  purity ! 

1  shall  gird  my  loins  for  thy  service 
In  a  hundred  thousand  places. 

It  is  a  lifetime  since  I  began  to  burn  on  the  thread 
of  exclusion  and  separation,  and  put  the  coUyrium 
of  longing  into  the  eye  of  desire  to  behold  that 
paragon  of  the  world. 

Melancholy  for  thee  inspires  my  breast  ; 

Desire  for  thee  permeates  my  heart ! 

Thy  behests  I  shall  never  disobey  ; 

Thy  will  I  shall  follow  with  my  soul." 

The  carpenter  dug  a  spacious  passage  between  the 
two  houses,  and  the  lady  arrived  by  means  of  it  in 
her  lover's  domicile.     When  the  carpenter  beheld  the 

1  Sums  of  money  mean  nothing  in  an  Eastern  story  :  looo 
dinars  would  be  equivalent  to  about  500  pounds,  English 
currency ;  but  were  the  amount  even  in  dirhams  the  carpenter 
would  be  giving  the  girl  25  pounds — a  handsome  "  tip"  indeed  ! 


THE  KAZrS    WIFE.  361 

Jacob's  house  of  mourning  of  his  heart  illuminated  by 
the  Joseph's  lamp  of  the  coveted  interview,  he  said  : 

"  Welcome,  my  faithful  idol  ! 
My  hut  is  the  envy  of  Paradise. 
Come,  moon-like  mistress,  come  ! 
Come,  tender  sweetheart,  come  ! 
Thy  elegant  speech  is  coquetry  ; 
Thy  gait  is  graceful  as  the  rose  : 
Thou  art  the  cynosure  of  love  ! 
Thou  art  the  model  of  tenderness  !" 

After  mutual  congratulations  and  compliments,  that 
title-page  of  the  ledger  of  amorous  intrigues  said  to  the 
carpenter  :  "  To-morrow  I  shall  come  here,  and  you 
must  bring  the  Kazi  to  marry  me  to  you."  When  the 
lady  had  explained  the  particulars  of  this  matter  to 
him,  he  drew  the  hand  of  obedience  over  the  eyes 
of  compliance ;  and  when  on  the  next  day  the  kazi 
of  the  morn  placed  the  seal  of  brilliancy  upon  the 
volume  of  the  firmament,  and  the  shaykh-sun  seated 
himself  upon  the  carpet  of  the  Orient  and  manifested 
himself  by  the  consequence  of  light  and  brightness, 
the  Kazi  hastened  from  his  haram  to  the  court  of 
justice.  His  tender  mistress,  however,  betook  herself 
to  the  house  of  the  carpenter,  who  forgot  the  grief  of 
separation,  dressed  himself  in  gaudy  clothes,  and 
waiting  on  the  Kazi  said :  "  O  spreader  of  the  super- 
ficies of  the  law,  and  strengthener  of  the  pillars  of  the 
affairs  of  mankind, 

No  matter  in  this  world  can  be 
Arranged  without  thy  intervention." 


FEES/AN  STORIES. 


When  the  Kazi  perceived  from  this  allocution  that  the 
carpenter  came  on  business,  and  concluded  that  it 
might  be  something  profitable,  he  replied  :  "  Greeting 
to  you  !  And  may  the  mercy  of  God  be  upon  your 
fathers  and  ancestors,  fortunate  and  blessed  man ! 
Welcome  !  Rest  yourself  awhile  ;  smoke  tobacco  and 
drink  coffee,  whilst  you  are  acquainting  me  with  your 
intentions."  The  carpenter  said:  "O  Kazi,  I  am  a 
bridegroom  and  am  very  restless  to-day  on  that 
account :  my  bride  is  sitting  in  the  house.  As  the 
moon  is  this  day  in  the  first  mansion  of  the  Balance, 
and  in  the  two  hours  and  nine  minutes  that  are 
elapsing  of  the  day  it  has  a  triangular  aspect  with  the 
sun,  a  hexagonal  one  with  Jupiter,  is  in  opposition  to 
Mercury,  out  of  the  influence  of  the  Scorpion  and  the 
remaining  ill-boding  influences,  therefore  I  am  of 
good  cheer ;  and  as  the  hour  to  tie  the  matrimonial 
knot  is  quite  propitious,  I  request  your  lordship 
quickly  to  perform  the  ceremony.  "^ 

As  soon  as  the  Kazi  heard  about  a  wedding,  he  put 
the  turban  of  covetousness  on  his  head,  took  the  rosary 
of  thanksgivings  into  his  hand,  and  went  with  the 
carpenter  to  the  house  of  the  latter.  When  he  entered 
he  exclaimed:  "Open,  O  opener  of  portals!"  but 
when  his  eyes  alighted  on  the  bride  and  he  recognised 
in   her  the  mistress  of  his  own   haram,   a  thousand 

1  Among  Muslims  when  the  moon  is  new  or  full  is  the  prefer- 
able time  for  marriage,  but  she  must  be  clear  of  the  sign  of  the 
Scorpion,  which  is  considered  very  unlucky. 


THE  KAZrS    WIFE.  363 

suspicions  beset  him ;  nevertheless  he  composed  him- 
self as  well  as  he  was  able,  but  could  not  help  thinking  : 
"  This  is  a  very  wonderful  business  ;  and  I  have  never 
seen  two  persons  resembling  each  other  so  much." 
While  he  thus  plunged  the  pen  of  his  mind  into  the 
inkstand  of  meditation  and  amazement,  the  carpenter 
exclaimed  :  "  My  lord,  the  time  is  passing,  and  what  is 
the  use  of  delaying?"  The  Kazi  looked  up,  and  again 
scrutinised  the  lady,  but  found  no  difference  between 
her  and  his  wife,  so  he  cried  :  "  Praise  be  to  God ! 
There  is  no  power  nor  strength  but  by  his  will!" 
Then  putting  his  hand  to  his  breast  he  said  :  "  What 
memory  is  this?"  and  arose  from  his  place.  The 
carpenter  asked:  "O  Kazi,  where  are  you  going?" 
The  Kazi  replied  :  "  My  good  fellow,  my  '  Key  of 
prosperity'  has  been  left  in  the  house,  and  there  is  a 
prayer  in  it  that  must  be  recited  before  pronouncing 
the  matrimonial  formula,  in  order  to  procure  the 
mutual  enjoyment  of  the  newly  married  couple." 
Accordingly  he  went  to  the  house,  but  was  forestalled 
by  his  spouse,  who  entered  it  through  the  secret 
passage  and  lay  down  on  her  bed.  AMien  the  Kazi 
arrived  and  saw  his  wife  in  this  position  he  said :  "I 
ask  pardon  of  God  from  all  that  displeases  him  in 
words,  deeds,  thoughts,  or  intentions !  To  what  a 
strange  suspicion  have  I  given  way  !  May  God  forgive 
me!"  His  wife,  on  hearing  these  exclamations, 
yawned  and  turned  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and 
said  :  "  Violet,  did  I  not  tell  you  to  allow  no  one  to 


364  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

enter  this  room,  so  that  I  might  repose  for  a  time?" 
Quoth  the  Kazi :  "  Beloved  partner !  there  is  no 
stranger.  Excuse  me,  and  pardon  me  for  having 
harboured  evil  suspicions  concerning  thee."  The  wife 
replied  :  "  Perhaps  you  have  become  mad  !" 

The  Kazi  again  returned  to  the  carpenter's  house, 
but  his  wife  had  preceded  him  and  was  sitting  in  her 
former  place.  As  soon  as  he  looked  at  her  the  same 
suspicions  overwhelmed  him,  and  he  exclaimed  in 
amazement :  "  O  Lord  of  glory  !  I  have  fallen  into  a 
strange  predicament,  and  am,  as  it  were,  between  two 
screws  of  the  horns  of  a  dilemma  that  presses  me,  on 
the  one  hand,  quickly  to  perform  the  ceremony,  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  rather  to  defer  it."  Then  said  the 
carpenter  :  "  My  lord  Kazi,  I  see  you  despondent  and 
hesitating  in  this  business  ;  and  although  you  ought 
not  to  expect  anything  from  me  because  I  am  your 
neighbour,  yet  I  will  give  you  these  thousand  dinars 
to  hasten  your  proceedings,  because  the  time  is 
elapsing."  No  sooner  did  the  Kazi  see  the  money 
than  he  put  it  at  once  into  his  pocket  and  began  : 
"  In  the  name  of  God,  the  Merciful,  the  Clement," 
and  continued  to  read  the  matrimonial  formula  till 
he  arrived  at  the  words,  "  I  marry,"  when  he  perceived 
a  black  mole  on  the  corner  of  his  wife's  lip,  which  he 
had  so  often  kissed.  He  felt  uneasy,  and  the  sugar 
of  the  thousand  dinars  was  bitter  in  the  palate  of  his  ) 
greediness,  he  again  lowered  his  head  into  the  collar 
of  meditation  and  said  within  himself:  "O  assembly  of 


THE  KAZPS    WIFE.  365 

genii  and  men  !  are  you  able  to  withdraw  yourselves 
from  the  precincts  of  heaven  and  earth  ?"  The  car- 
penter exclaimed  :  "  O  Kazi,  I  really  do  not  know  the 
reason  of  your  delay,  nor  from  the  fountain  of  what 
pretence  the  water  of  this  procrastination  is  gushing." 
The  Kazi  smiled  and  thus  replied  :  "  O  carpenter,  we 
are  the  sureties  of  legal  affairs,  the  successors  of  the 
prophets,  and  the  pontiffs  of  the  laws  and  canons  of 
the  ways  of  guidance.  In  every  affair  that  we  perform 
we  must  attentively  consider  a  thousand  subtleties, 
lest  we  should  become  liable  to  blame  in  the  next 
world  by  the  commission  of  a  fault.  Why  are  you  in 
such  haste?  All  affairs  in  this  world  succeed  only 
by  civility  and  patience,  and  not  by  confusion  and 
impatience./  Thou  resemblest  that  shepherd  who  was 
one  day  Engaged  in  pasturing  his  flock  and  became 
very  thirsty.  As  a  village  was  very  near,  he  left  his 
sheep  and  entered  it  to  look  for  water.  He  happened 
to  pass  near  a  tree  under  the  shadow  of  which  a 
schoolmaster  was  teaching  a  crowd  of  boys.  After 
looking  for  a  while,  he  perceived  the  teacher  reposing 
and  issuing  orders,  and  the  boys  humbly  obeying  him 
in  all  things  and  occupied  in  melodiously  rehearsing 
their  lessons.  This  sort  of  employment  disgusted 
the  shepherd  with  his  own  calling,  and  he  thought : 
'While  I  am  able  to  learn  this  trade,  I  do  not  see 
why  I  should  spend  my  whole  life  to  no  profit  by 
running  about  the  fields  with  a  lot  of  sheep.  I  must 
change  the  profession   of  a  shepherd    for  that  of  a 


366  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

schoolmaster,  and  then  I  shall  spend  my  days  in 
comfort,  like  this  man.'  Accordingly  he  stepped 
forward  and  said  :  '  My  good  master,  I  have  a  great 
inclination  to  learn  your  business ;  please  instruct  me 
in  it.'  When  the  master  looked  at  the  figure  and 
aspect  of  the  shepherd,  he  was  astonished,  and  saw 
he  was  an  ignorant  fellow  who  had  no  capacity.  For 
the  sake  of  fun,  however,  he  took  a  piece  of  paper, 
wrote  the  alphabet  on  it,  and  said  to  the  man  :  '  Be 
seated,  and  read  this.'  The  shepherd  asked:  'Why 
do  you  not  teach  me  from  these  large  books?'  Said 
the  master :  '  You  are  but  a  beginner,  and  you  cannot 
read  books  till  you  have  learned  the  alphabet'  Quoth 
the  shepherd  :  '  Master,  what  letters  are  you  speaking 
about  ?  Please  fill  me  with  them  now,  for  my  flock 
roams  about  without  a  shepherd,  and  I  have  no  time 
to  sit  down  and  learn  the  alphabet.'  The  school- 
master smiled  at  this  and  drove  the  shepherd  awav/^O 
carpenter,"  continued  the  Kazi,  "do  not  fancy  every 
business  to  be  easy.  Now  I  meditate  and  study  how 
to  divide  the  possessions  of  a  certain  wealthy  man, 
who  died  yesterday,  among  thirty-two  men  who  have 
inherited  them.  This  has  just  occurred  to  my  mind, 
and  I  was  engaged  in  multiplication  and  division." 
Then  the  Kazi  again  glanced  at  the  lady,  and  beginning 
to  feel  uneasy  arose  once  more.  The  carpenter  asked: 
"  O  Kazi,  what  fancy  is  moving  you  now,  and  causes 
you  to  look  so  confused?"  Said  the  Kazi:  "This 
transaction  is  one  of  the  greatest  importance  according 


THE   KAZrS    WIFE.  367 

to  the  religious  law.  It  cannot  be  performed  unless 
after  the  general  ablution,  about  the  completeness  of 
which  a  doubt  has  just  arisen  in  my  mind ;  therefore 
I  must  return  to  my  house  and  renew  it."  The  car- 
penter answered  :  "  You  can  wash  yourself  here." 
Quoth  the  Kazi :  "  No,  by  God !  I  never  perform 
my  ablutions  with  water  which  I  have  not  seen  before, 
and  I  have  all  the  arrangements  for  purification  in 
my  house." 

The  Kazi  returned  to  his  house  accordingly,  but 
his  wife  went  before  him  through  the  passage,  and 
was  reading  a  book  when  he  entered  her  room.  He 
exclaimed:  "I  ask  forgiveness  from  God,  and  I 
repent  of  all  my  sins  and  transgressions."  The  lady 
looked  at  him  in  astonishment,  and  said:  "This  day 
I  perceive  the  neck  of  your  intellect  confined  in  the 
halter  of  a  lunatic  fit.  How  many  times  have  you 
come  and  again  gone  away  after  holding  a  soliloquy 
as  madmen  are  wont  to  do!  If  you  have  become 
subject  to  such  a  distemper,  and  do  not  take  the 
proper  steps  to  cure  it,  I  shall  not  be  your  nurse." 
Said  the   Kazi:    "O  Bilkis^  of  the   compact  of  pru- 

1  Bilkis,  according  to  Muslim  tradition,  was  the  name  of  the 
celebrated  Queen  of  Sheba,  who  visited  Solomon  "in  all  his 
glor}'."'  Many  curiouslegehds,  or  stories,  are  related,  both  by 
the  Rabbins  and  the  Muslims,  regarding  Solomon  and  Bilkis. 
It  is  said  that  Solomon  had  been  told  by  some  slanderer  that  she 
had  goats'  feet  and  legs.  In  order  to  ascertain  the  fact,  he 
caused  the  floor  of  the  audience-chamber  to  be  laid  with  glass  or 
cr)-stal.      \Mien   Bilkis  entered  the  chamber  and  perceived  what 


368  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

dence  and  innocence,  to-day  I  have  indulged  in  a 
suspicion  regarding  thee:  I  have  made  a  mistake — 
forgive  me!"  The  wife  answered:  "  The  worst  people 
in  the  world  are  those  who  indulge  in  evil  imputations, 
and  those  of  yours  must  be  expiated."  She  then 
gave  a  few  dinars  to  Violet,  bidding  her  distribute 
them  among  the  poor  as  a  penitential  expiation. 
After  this  the  Kazi  took  an  apple  from  his  pocket,  cut 
it  in  twain,  and  gave  one  moiety  to  his  wife,  saying: 
"  Though  apples  have  many  qualities,  the  chief  of  them 
is  to  increase  conjugal  love  :  I  intend  to  go  to  the  bath." 
Putting  the  other  half  of  the  apple  in  his  pocket, 
the  Kazi  returned  to  the  house  of  the  carpenter.  His 
wife  preceded  him  as  usual,  and  sat  down  in  her 
place.  When  he  drew  near  he  saw  the  half  of  the 
apple  in  her  hand,  and  was  greatly  amazed,  but  said 
nothing,  for  fear  of  offending  the  carpenter,  who  cried 
out :  "  O  Kazi,  tell  me  for  God's  sake  what  you  have 
to  say,  and  why  is  all  this  going  and  coming  and  all 
this  delay  ?  If  this  affair  is  disagreeable  to  you,  I 
shall  bring  Shaykh  Jahtas,  or  Mullah  Allam-Abhuda, 

looked  like  clear  water  on  the  floor,  she  gracefully  raised  the 
skirt  of  her  dress  a  few  inches,  to  save  it  from  being  wetted,  and 
Solomon  saw,  to  his  great  relief,  that  she  had  a  pair  of  "natty" 
little  human  feet.  We  are  told  in  the  Bible  that  the  Queen  of 
Sheba  plied  the  sage  monarch  witli  "hard  questions,"  but  he 
answered  them  every  one  (i  Kings,  x,  1-3).  So  much  was 
Solomon  charmed  with  her  sagacity,  virtue,  and  modesty,  that 
he  ultimately  married  her. — Our  friend  the  Kazi,  to  molHfy  his 
wife,  calls  iier  a  second  Bilkis. 


THE   KAZrS    WIFE.  369 

the  servant  of  the  college,  to  perform  the  matrimonial 
ceremony.  O  Kazf,  I  expected  more  kindness  from 
you  as  a  neighbour.  This  business  is  not  worth  so 
much  haggling  about,  and  if  you  wish  more  than  the 
thousand,  take  these  five  hundred  dinars."  When 
the  Kazi  saw  this  additional  sum  of  money  he  was 
overpowered  by  covetousness  and  exclaimed  :  "  I  take 
refuge  with  God  from  the  lapidated  Satan  !  ^  I  marry 
and  couple ! "  Then  his  eye  again  alighted  on  the 
countenance  of  his  wife  and  he  saw  she  wore  the 
ruby  necklace  which  he  had  bought  for  three  thousand 
dinars.  He  shook  his  head  and  said  :  "  Every  now 
and  then  I  must  somehow  stop  :  I  do  not  know  what 
is  again  distracting  my  attention,"  and  he  glanced 
once  more  at  his  wife.  Quoth  the  carpenter :  "  O 
Kazi,  your  amorous  looks  have  convinced  me  that 
your  desires  are  centred  in  the  possession  of  this 
lady,  for  your  eyes  constantly  wander  over  her  coun- 
tenance. If  this  be  the  case,  do  not  make  a  secret 
of  it,  that  we  may  consult  her  opinion  on  the  matter." 
The  Kazi  thought  within  himself,  that,  as  the  car- 
penter was  an  ignorant  and  illiterate  man,  he  might 
play  a  trick  on  him,  and  recite  something  else  instead 
of  the  marriage  formula,  so  that,  if  his  suspicions 
proved  to  be  well-founded,  he  might  be  able  to  annul 
the  marriage.     So  he  sat  down  on  his  haunches  and 

1  The  usual  exclamation  of  a  Muslim  when  he  believes  the 
Devil  is  playing  him  some  mischievous  trick. — See  note  on 
page  277. 

2  B 


370  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

recited  :  "  lazghara,  lajargara  Aftanys  Salanka,  Dama 
Talkuvara,"  etc.  Then  he  spoke  to  the  carpenter : 
"Say,  'I  agree.' "  But  as  the  carpenter  had  frequently 
heard  the  marriage  formula,  he  answered :  "  Kazi, 
this  is  a  formula  read  to  country  fellows  and  retainers. 
I  have  given  thee  one  thousand  five  hundred  dinars 
to  marry  me  like  one  of  the  grandees.  I  am  not  a 
child  to  be  thus  played  with :  this  formula  is  not 
worth  twenty  dinars.  Either  return  me  the  money 
or  recite  the  proper  manly  formula."  Quoth  the 
Kazi :  "  You  are  but  a  working  man,  carpenter,  why 
then  do  you  entertain  such  high  pretensions  ?  I  have 
just  now  read  to  you  the  formula  which  I  made  use 
of  in  marrying  Mullah  Abdullah,  the  householder  in 
the  market,  yet  you  want  a  formula  used  for  grandees, 
scholars,  and  judges,  and  to  give  me  a  headache!" 
The  carpenter  replied :  "I  also  covet  science  and 
distinction."  Said  the  Kazi :  "  How  will  you  convince 
me  of  that?"  The  carpenter  continued:  "I  know 
the  story  of  the  'Sun  and  Moon.'^  I  have  heard  the 
tale  of  'Sayf  ul-Muliik  and  Badya'a  ul-Jumal'  I 
have  likewise  seen  '  The  Road  to  the  Mosque.'  My 
father  used  to  pass  once  every  day  near  the  school- 
house  of  Mullah  Namatullah  Kylak."  Said  the  Kazi : 
"  There  is  no  science  or  perfection  higher  than  this. 
I  did  not  know  the  degree  or  limit  which  thou  hast 
attained."^     In  consequence  of  this  irony  of  the  Kazi, 

1  An  abstract  of  this  story  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix. 

'^  The  carpenter  is  a  curious  compound    of  shrewdness  and 


THE  KAZrS    WIFE.  371 

the  carpenter  put  a  feather  in  his  bonnet  ^  and  said  : 
"  There  is  no  excuse."  Once  more  the  Kazi  attempted 
to  begin  the  formula,  but  when  he  looked  at  the  half 
of  the  apple  that  was  in  the  lady's  hand,  he  cried  : 
"Woman,  give  me  that  half-apple!"  She  complied, 
and  the  Kazi  took  the  other  half  from  his  pocket,  and 
by  placing  the  two  halves  together  he  found  them 
to  fit  exactly.  The  carpenter  exclaimed  :  "  Kazi, 
apparently  some  jugglery  is  going  on  here  !  What 
delusion  are  you  subject  to  every  moment?"  The 
Kazi  replied  :  "  I  have  done  this  simply  to  produce 
conjugal  love  between  you."  Then  he  again  rose 
and  wanted  to  go  to  his  house  for  the  purpose  of 
verifying  his  surmises,  but  the  lady  turned  to  the 
carpenter  and  said  :  "  Foolish  man,  hast  thou  brought 
me  here  to  marry  me,  or  to  make  a  laughing-stock 

.simplicity  :  not  content  to  vaunt  his  acquaintance  with  popular 
tales,  he  must  add  that  his  father  daily  passed  by  a  famous 
school-house — implying  that  the  knoiuledge  supposed  to  be  thus 
obtained  by  his  parent  had  been  transmitted  to  himself !  The 
Kazi  is  no  doubt  "all  there,"  but  for  his  love  of  money  and 
jealousy  of  his  artful  wife.  We  have  the  authority  of  a  certain 
noble  poet  that  avarice  is  "  a  good  old -gentlemanly  vice";  but 
nobody  can  say  a  word  in  favour  of  jealousy,  the  "green-eyed 
monster,"  who  caused  the  death  of  sweet  Desdemona. 

1  "Put  a  feather  in  his  bonnet"  is  not  quite  the  Eastern  ex- 
pression, though  its  meaning  is  thus  fairly  enough  rendered  in 
English  :  the  carpenter  may  be  said,  in  Biblical  phrase,  to  have 
"exalted  his  horn" — as  the  poet  Burns  has  it  in  his  verses 
on  his  first  visit  to  Lord  Dare,  "up  higher  yet  my  bannet  !" 
We  used  also  to  say  of  a  man  who  evidently  thought  highly  of 
himself  that  he  "  cocked  his  beaver." 


372  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

of  me  ?  I  have  never  before  seen  such  proceedings. 
I  think  his  eyes  have  become  subject  to  [the  disease 
called]  pearl-water."  The  Kazi  took  no  notice  of 
these  remarks,  but  hastened  to  his  house,  where  his 
wife  met  him  with  these  words :  "  O  Kazi,  thou 
resemblest  those  people  who  have  the  pearl-water  in 
their  eyes."  Said  he:  "There  is  no  God  but  the 
God  !  The  other  woman  has  spoken  the  same  thing. 
Tell  me  at  all  events  what  is  the  distemper  called 
pearl-water."  His  wife  answered  :  "  Pearl-water  is  a 
humour  caused  by  heavy  particles  in  the  stomach 
rising  into  the  head,  and  from  thence  descending  into 
the  eyelids,  which  injures  the  eyes,  so  that  different 
persons  appear  to  be  the  same,  and  cannot  be  dis- 
tinguished from  each  other.  If  this  malady  is  not 
cured  it  degenerates  into  blindness."  Quoth  the 
Kazi :  "  Perhaps  this  is  because  I  have  not  kept  m) 
depraved  appetite  in  subjection.  Several  days  ago  I 
was  with  the  superintendent  of  police  in  the  house  of 
Kavas  the  Armenian,  who  had  died  ;  we  went  there  to 
take  an  inventory  of  his  goods  and  chattels  for  the 
Amir.  The  children  of  Khoja  Kavas  had,  by  way 
of  a  sweetmeat,  something  baked  in  hog's  blood ;  as  I 
was  hungry  and  this  food  happened  to  be  delicious, 
I  ate  somewhat  freely  of  it ;  and  as  it  had  been  pre- 
pared from  the  property  of  the  deceased  man,  it  may 
possibly  have  had  its  consequences." ^ 

1  We  have  also  seen  in  the  story  of  Shah  Manssur,  p.  iS,  how 
the   unchaste   woman   made   her   husl)an(l    lieHeve   that   he   was 


THE  KAZrS    WIFE.  373 

A  third  time  the  Kazi  returned  to  the  carpenters 
house,  and  when  he  beheld  his  wife,  and  glanced 
stealthily  at  her,  the  lady  was  wroth  and  said  to  the 
carpenter  :  "  This  fellow  is  every  now  and  then  casting 
amorous  glances  at  me,  and  through  my  connection 
with  thee  I  have  lost  my  reputation.  Either  drive 
him  away  or  forfeit  my  company."  Quoth  the  Kazi : 
"  Respectable  virgin  and  honourable  lady,  in  all 
matters  consideration  is  useful."  The  carpenter  lost 
his  patience  and  exclaimed :  "  You  have  nearly  killed 
me  with  your  folly  and  loquacity.  I  do  not  wish  any 
longer  for  marriage.  If  thou  hast  considered  this 
woman  worthy  of  thy  haram,  why  hast  thou  for  so  long 
a  time  been  undecided?"  Whilst  the  carpenter  was 
thus  talking,  they  heard  the  voice  of  the  muezzin,  and 
he  exclaimed:  "Alas,  it  is  noon^ — the  propitious  hour 
has  elapsed  !"  .Said  the  Kazi:  "You  are  a  carpenter; 
you  know  how  to  handle  the  saw  and  the  axe,  to  make 

mad. — The  Kazi  ascribes  his  imaginary  aihnent  to  over-eating, 
but  also,  as  I  understand  it,  to  the  fact  that  the  food  of  which 
he  partook  too  freely  had  been  baked  in  hog's  blood.  Swine's 
tlesh  is  an  abomination  to  the  Muslim  as  to  the  Jew,  though  the 
law  allows  the  former  to  eat  any  kind  of  food  if  he  be  pressed  by 
hunger  and  nothing  else  can  be  procured.  Possibly  the  worthy 
Kazi  at  the  time  he  was  in  the  house  of  the  deceased  Kavas  the 
Armenian — where  hog's  flesh  and  hog's  blood  might  well  be 
found — thought  that  his  condition,  as  to  appetite,  justified  his 
eating  of  the  "funeral  baked  meats,"  though  partly  composed  of 
the  unclean  animal. 

1  The  muezzin  was  proclaiming  the  hour  of  prayer. 


374  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

windows  and  doors.  But  what  idea  have  you  of  the 
rotation  of  the  spheres — about  good  and  bad  stars 
and  hours  ?  This  science  belongs  to  our  profession." 
Then  taking  an  almanac  from  his  pocket  and  opening 
it,  he  said  :  "The  moon  is  a  luminary  of  quick  motion. 
Yesterday  she  entered  the  sign  of  the  Balance,  but 
has  so  quickly  travelled  through  the  degrees  that  she 
feels  tired  to-day  and  is  still  reposing,  and  will  not 
travel  to-morrow.  From  hour  to  hour  till  to-morrow, 
inclusive,  wedding  dinners  and  other  feasts  are  pro- 
pitious. I  shall  now  go  to  my  house  and  prepare  a 
medicine  for  the  pearl-water  of  my  eyes,  as  it  will 
probably  hinder  me  from  studying."  But  the  carpenter 
and  the  lady  seized  the  Kazi,  one  on  either  side,  and 
said  :  "  Mayhap  the  affairs  of  this  world  are  only  a 
play!  By  Allah,  we  shall  not  let  thee  go  ere  thou 
hast  tied  the  matrimonial  knot."  Quoth  the  Kazi  : 
"  Let  me  go,  else  I  shall  immediately  write  a  mandate 
for  the  capital  punishment  of  both  of  you."  They 
rejoined :  "  May  the  columns  of  the  house  of  Khoja 
Ratyl,  the  merchant,  fall  upon  you,  if  you  do  us  the 
least  harm!"  Upon  this  the  Kcizi  turned  his  face 
upwards  and  prayed  :  "  O  Judge  of  the  court  of  justice 
of  destiny,  protect  me  from  the  evil  of  all  mad  persons 
and  from  all  malefactors,  and  grant  me  health  and 
peace  !  Thou  judgest — thou  art  the  sovereign  Judge  !" 
As  he  had  no  alternative  now  but  to  marry  the  lady 
to  the  carpenter,  and  as  at  that  time  it  was  customary 
for  the  bride  to  kiss  the  hand  of  the  Kazi  after  the 


THE    THREE  DECEITFUL     WOMEN.  375 

termination  of  the  ceremony,  the  lady  stepped  forward 
for  this  purpose ;  but  the  Kazi  was  so  anxious  to  mark 
his  wife  for  identification  afterwards,  that  he  struck 
her  such  a  blow  on  the  cheek  with  his  clenched  hand 
as  to  cause  her  to  bleed  profusely.  Then  he  ran  into 
his  own  house,  where  he  found  his  wife  disfiguring  her 
face  and  crying  out :  "  I  renounce  such  an  adulterous 
husband,  who  is  carrying  on  an  intrigue  with  the  car- 
penter's wife."  She  and  her  maids  then  took  him  b}- 
the  throat  and  pulled  off  his  turban,  and  he  fled  into 
the  street.  The  carpenter,  who  had  heard  the  noise, 
came  out,  and  seeing  him  with  his  head  uncovered 
placed  his  own  turban  on  it,  and  said :  "  O  Kazi, 
women  are  of  an  imperfect  understanding,  and  quarrels 
between  husbands  and  wives  have  taken  place  at  all 
times.  If  you  have  lost  your  senses,  this  can  easily  be 
remedied  by  taking  up  your  lodging  for  a  few  days  in 
a  madhouse,  until  your  spouse  repents  of  her  deed." 
And  so  the  Kazi  went  to  repose  himself  in  a  lunatic 
asylum. 

The  secret-knowing  bulbul  of  the  musical-hall  of 
narratives,  namely,  the  pen,  thus  continues  its  melody: 
After  the  wife  of  the  Kazi  had  severed  the  robe  of  his 
conjugal  authority  with  the  scissors  of  deceit,  she  again 
stitched  it  with  the  needle  of  fraud,  and  invested  with 
it  the  bosom  of  the  wretched  Kazi's  imbecility  by 
means  of  the  above-narrated  tricks.  Then  she  sent 
word  to  her   two  accomplices,   that    she  had  drawn 


376  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

the  bow  of  machination  to  its  utmost  extent  by  the 
exertion  of  her  skill,  that  she  had  with  the  arrow 
thereof  hit  the  target  of  the  conditions  stipulated,  and 
that  now  the  field  was  free  to  them  for  the  display 
of  their  cunning. 

TJie   Trick  of  the  Bazar- Master's    Wife. 

The  blandly-ambling  pea-fowl  of  the  pen  continues** 
the  narrative  as  follows :  Now  it  was  the  turn  of 
the  bazar's-master's  wife,  whose  tricks  were  of  a  kind 
to  instruct  Ibli's  in  the  laws  of  deceit  and  fraud.^  She 
began  to  weigh  all  kinds  of  stratagems  in  the  balance 
of  meditation,  to  enable  her  to  decide  what  course 
of  roguery  would  be  best  for  her  object.  She  hap- 
pened to  have  a  nurse  who  had  also  attained  the 
highest  degree  of  intrigue  by  the  instigations  of  Ibh's, 
and  was  her  assistant  in  all  her  devices ;  so  calling 
this  woman,  and  anointing  with  the  balsam  of  flattery 
the  limbs  of  her  attachment,  she  said  :  "  O  beloved 
and  kind  mother,  the  ornaments  and  pictures  of  my 
house  of  fraud  and  cunning  are  the  offspring  of  thy 
instructions.  It  is  long  since  the  bond  of  amity 
was  torn  between  me  and  my  husband.  In  spite 
of  all  my  endeavours,  I  am  unable  to  cope  with  his 
sagacity ;  but  I  trust  in  thy  affection,  and  hope  that 

1  Iblis  :  Satan.  Possibly  Iblis  is  a  corruption  ofDiabolus. — 
Artful,  intriguing  women  are  often  described  as  being  able  to 
]nill  out  the  Devil's  claws,  and  Satan  himself  would  confess  there 
was  no  escaping  from  their  cunning  ! 


THE  BAZAR-MASTER'S    WIFE.  377 

we  shall  be  able  to  arrange  this  matter  by  thy  assist- 
ance." The  nurse  answered  :  "  Ornament  of  the  tribe 
of  the  lovely ! 

My  soul  is  longing  and  my  eyes  waiting, 
Both  to  be  sacrificed  at  thy  behest. 

As  long  as  the  child  of  the  spirit  remains  in  the 
cradle  of  my  body,  and  the  milk  of  motion  and  rest 
circulates  in  the  members  of  it,  I  cannot  avoid  obey- 
ing thy  commands.  I  sincerely  comply  with  all  thy 
orders."  Then  said  the  wife  of  the  bazar-master : 
"  As  I  w^as  one  day  coming  from  the  bath,  the  son 
of  a  banker  was  walking  in  the  lane.  And  when  the 
smoke  of  the  torch  of  my  tenderness  reached  his 
nostrils,  he  fell  from  the  courser  of  the  intellect  upon 
the  ground  of  insensibility  and  followed  me  every- 
where with  groans  and  sighs  ;  but  the  vanity  of  seeing 
myself  beloved  allowed  me  not  to  sprinkle  the  rose- 
water  of  a  glance  upon  the  face  of  his  expectation. 
When  he  arrived  at  the  door  of  my  house,  he  sobbed, 
and  then  went  away.  I  know  that  the  bird  of  his 
heart  is  captivated  by  the  pursuit  after  the  grain  of 
this  phantom,  and  is  imprisoned  in  the  meshes  of 
exclusion.  I  want  thee  to  go  to  him  and  convey  to 
him  the  following  message :  '  From  that  day  when 
the  chamberlain  of  carelessness  hindered  me  from 
admitting  thee  to  the  intimacy  of  an  interview,  I 
dreamed  every  night  fearful  dreams,  and  am  to  this 
day  at  all  times  so  much  plunged  into  the  drowning 
waters  of  uneasiness,  that  it  has  become  plain  to  me 


378  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

that  all  this  is  the  consequence  of  thy  disappointment 
and  exclusion.  Now  I  wish  to  remedy  my  incivility 
by  promenading  a  little  in  the  gardens  of  thy  love  and 
attachment.  As  the  bazar-master  will  be  engaged  till 
the  morning  in  some  business,  the  house  will  not  be 
encumbered  by  his  presence.  So  put  on  a  woman's 
veil,  bring  wine  and  the  requisites  for  amusement, 
and  come  hither,  that  we  may  sweeten  our  palates 
with  the  honey  of  meeting  each  other.'  " 

After  the  lady  had  despatched  her  nurse  to  the 
banker's  son,  the  bazar-master  arrived,  and  his  wife 
thus  addressed  him  :  "  Beloved  husband,  to-morrow, 
one  of  the  principal  ladies  of  the  town,  whose  acquaint- 
ance I  have  made  at  the  bath,  will  come  to  me  on  a 
visit.  As  it  is  for  my  interest  to  receive  her  with  all 
possible  courtesy,  you  must  remain  in  the  town-hall 
to-morrow  until  evening.  Send  in  the  supplies  re- 
quired for  a  handsome  entertainment,  and  please  to 
arrange  all  in  such  a  manner  as  we  shall  not  reap 
shame  from  anything."  The  bazar-master  lighted  the 
lamp  of  acquiescence  in  the  assembly  of  compliance 
and  said  :   "  Let  it  be  so." 

When  the  banker  of  morn  sat  down  in  the  shop  of 
the  horizon,  and  when  the  unalloyed  gold  of  the  sun 
stamped  in  the  mint  of  creation  with  the  legend  of 
brilliancy,  and  the  light  began  to  ascend  towards  the 
meridian  of  the  sphere,  the  son  of  the  banker  put 
on  costly  garments,  perfumed  himself,  and  threw  over 
his  clothes  a  large  veil,  and  taking  under  it  a  flask  of 


THE  BAZAR-MASTER'S    WIFE.  379 


ruby-coloured  wine,  proceeded  with  a  thousand  joyful 
expectations  to  the  mansion  of  his  mistress,  who  had, 
like  the  crescent  moon  on  a  festive  eve,  gone  to  meet 
him  with  open  arms  as  far  as  the  vestibule  of  the 
house,  saying : 

"  To-day  my  moon  visits  me  with  joy, 
And  renews  the  covenant  of  love  with  his  light. 

Thou  art  welcome  I  For  the  rays  of  thy  sun-like 
countenance  have  made  my  humble  cottage  the  ob- 
ject of  jealousy  of  the  palaces  of  Europe,  and  delight- 
ful, like  Paradise  ! 

Come  !     For  without  thee  I  cannot  endure  life  : 
The  eyelids  of  my  repose  meet  not  sleep  without  thee. 
I  wish  not  for  the  water  of  immortality  through  Khizr  : 
Thy  cheeks  are  not  less  to  me  than  immortality." 

The  lady  took  him  into  the  interior  apartments, 
divested  him  of  the  veil,  threw  the  hand  of  amity  over 
the  neck  of  his  affection,  begged  his  pardon  for  her 
past  offence,  entangled  with  kindness  the  feet  of  his 
heart  in  the  stirrup-leathers  of  hope,  then  entirel}- 
undressed  him,  and  said  :  "  Rest  thyself  comfortably 
in  this  secret  apartment  until  I  go  and  bring  the 
requisites  for  company  and  music,  when  we  shall 
enjoy  ourselves."  She  went  out  and  said  to  her 
female  attendants  :  "  When  I  go  in  again,  you  must 
call  the  bazar-master  into  the  house  and  say :  '  Our 
lady  has  brought  a  strange  man,  with  whom  she  is 
amusing  herself  and  drinking  wine.'  "  Then  she  re- 
turned  to   the   young   man   and   kept   him   company. 


38o  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

In  the  meantime  her  husband  was  informed  of  what 
was  going  on  in  his  house,  and  becoming  greatly 
excited,  sent  in  a  servant  to  inquire.  The  lady  said 
to  the  youth,  in  seeming  perplexity  :  "  This  coming  of 
my  husband  is  not  without  a  cause — perhaps  he  has  a 
notion  that  you  are  here."  The  youth,  trembling  with 
terror,  said:  "Alas,  I  shall  lose  my  life  through  this 
affair;  for  the  l)azar-master  is  jealous,  and  will  injure 
me."  I'hen  the  lady  opened  a  chest  and  said  to  the 
young  man :  "  Conceal  yourself  in  this  chest  until 
I  see  what  will  come  of  the  business ;"  and  having 
locked  the  box  and  put  away  the  youth's  clothes, 
she  met  her  husband,  who  was  inflamed  like  an  oven. 
Throwing  her  arms  round  his  neck,  she  exclaimed  : 
"Darling  of  my  soul!  I  see  thee  greatly  discom- 
posed and  confused — what  is  it?"  He  replied: 
"  My  reason  is  unwilling  to  put  faith  in  what  I  have 
heard,  and  I  want  you  to  tell  me  the  truth."  The 
lady  smiled  and  said :  "  What  thou  hast  heard  is 
quite  true.  The  lamp  of  my  heart  was  for  a  long 
time  blazing  in  the  assembly  of  love  towards  a  young 
man ;  the  palm-tree  of  his  imagination  hkewise  bore 
the  fruit  of  attachment  to  me ;  and  now  I  have 
brought  him  and  am  in  his  company.  Love  is  innate 
in  human  nature,  but  has  never  manifested  itself 
Cy*  between  me  and  thee.  Hast  thou  not  heard  of  Layla 
and  Majnun,  or  read  the  story  of  Yiizuf  and  Zulay- 
khd?  Is  there  anyone  in  the  world  who  has  not  felt 
the  pangs  of  love  ?     He  in  the  mother-shell  of  whose 


THE  BAZAR-MASTER'S    WIFE. 


heart  affection  finds  no  refuge  has  indeed  reaped  no 
fruit  from  the  spring  of  Hfe. 

Love  is  the  ornament  of  the  rose-grove  of  the  heart ; 

It  is  the  guide  and  leader  to  each  mansion. 

The  breast  is  a  lamp  whose  flame  is  love  ; 

The  heart  is  a  shell,  and  love  the  pearl  in  it. 

The  lamp  without  a  flame  is  the  grave  ; 

Without  a  pearl  the  shell  has  no  light. 

0  bazar-master!"  she  continued,  "there  is  no  man  or 
woman  who  has  not  tasted  the  pleasures  of  this  passion : 
it  is  inherent  in  hfe,  and  its  exhilarating  breezes  in- 
vigorate the  rose-garden  of  politeness.  There  is  no 
animate  being  whose  nostrils  have  not  been  perfumed 
by  the  fragrance  of  the  garden  of  love :  perhaps  I  have 
no  heart,  and  am  no  human  being?     How  long  shall 

1  dwell  with  thee  ?  In  all  circumstances  a  change  of 
climate  becomes  necessary.  My  unfortunate  friend 
has  been  long  prostrated  on  the  bed  of  sickness  for 
the  love  which  he  bears  to  me,  and  on  account  of  his 
exclusion.  Humanity  and  compassion  are  the  chief 
corner-stones  of  Islam,  and  what  shall  I  answer  on 
the  day  of  resurrection  if  I  do  not  act  in  compliance 
with  these  two  duties  ?  Hast  thou  not  heard  that  a 
mendicant  must  not  be  sent  away  unrelieved,  and 
that  if  an  ant  creep  away  with  one  grain  the  stores 
will  not  be  diminished  ? 

No  harm  befalls  the  granary 

If  a  poor  ant  obtains  half  a  grain. 

A  hundred  thousand  persons  drink  water  from  one 
fountain,  and  several  people  eat  fruit  from  one  date-tree. 


382  PERSIAN  STOA'/ES. 

What  deficiency  will  be  entailed  upon  the  rose-grove  of 
my  tenderness  if  the  odour  of  a  rose  bring  tranquility 
to  the  nostrils  of  an  unfortunate  man  ?  Quench  the 
thirst  of  a  thirsty  man  with  a  drop  of  water,  and 
rescue  a  fainting  one  from  the  labyrinth  of  distress  ; 
for  good  acts  are  a  dam  to  misfortunes.  Be  not 
melancholy,  O  bazar-master,  for  in  the  banquet  of  my 
existence  the  plates  of  my  tender  delicacies  are  so 
numerous  that  a  thousand  persons  like  thyself  may  be 
satisfied  by  them  for  many  years." 

The  bazar-master  said,  with  astonishment :  "Worth- 
less, foolish,  and  vain  woman,  what  senseless  words 
are  you  saying?"  She  replied:  "I  swear,  by  the 
gratitude  due  for  thy  affection  and  friendship,  that 
everything  I  said  was  only  fun  and  dissimulation. 
But  if  you  have  any  doubts  on  the  subject  come  and 
see  for  yourself."  She  then  led  the  way,  and  her 
husband  followed  her  until  they  reached  her  chamber. 
When  he  beheld  the  youth's  clothes,  the  arrangements 
for  drinking,  and  the  decorations,  he  began  to  blaze 
up  like  a  flame,  and  to  ferment  like  a  tub  of  wine — in 
short,  he  was  quite  beside  himself,  and  asked:  "Where 
is  the  young  man?"  She  answered:  "He  is  in  that 
chest.  I  have  concealed  him  in  it,  and  if  you  do 
not  believe  it,  take  the  key — open  and  look."  The 
bazar-master  had  no  sooner  taken  the  key  than  his 
wife  burst  into  laughter,  clapped  her  hands,  and 
exclaimed:  "I  remember,  but  you  forget!"  Her 
husband  threw  down  the  key,  and  said  :   "  Miserable 


THE    THREE  DECEITFUL    WOMEN.  383 

woman,  you  have  destroyed  my  patience.  Was  it 
worth  while  thus  to  trifle  with  my  affection?"  "With 
these  words  he  left  the  house ;  but  during  the  con- 
versation the  young  man  was  like  one  suspended 
between  death  and  life.  When  it  was  evening  the 
lady  opened  the  chest,  and  said  to  him  :  "  Leave  this 
place  quickly,  and  remove  the  spectacle  of  this  inten- 
tion from  your  eyes,  for  you  were  near  being  invested 
with  the  robe  of  a  lover."  The  young  man  thanked 
God  for  having  preserved  his  life,  and  fled  precipi- 
tately. 1 

After  the  bird  of  the  bazar-master's  wife  had  laid 


1  There  is  an  omission  in  this  tale  which  leaves  it  practically 
pointless,  since  it  is  not  apparent  how  the  lady's  words,  "I  re- 
member," should  have  sent  her  husband  awaywithoj.it  his  having 
opened  the  chest.  Much  the  same  tale  occurs  in  Mr.  Gibb's 
translation  of  the  Turkish  story-book,  Qirq  vezir  tarikhi  ("  His- 
tory of  the  Forty  Vazirs,"  p.  401),  in  which  a  man  and  his  wife 
are  playing  the  game  oi yad  est,  or  "  I  remember  " — a  game  that 
may  continue  for  days,  and  even  weeks,  the  conditions  being 
that  neither  must  accept  of  anything  from  the  other  without 
saying,  "  I  remember";  should  one  of  them  do  so,  the  other  on 
repeating  these  words  becomes  entitled  to  a  forfeit.  In  the 
Turkish  story,  as,  quite  obviously,  in  the  foregoing,  the  husband 
has  taken  a  yad  est  with  his  wife,  and  is  led  by  the  latter  to 
believe  that  she  had  made  these  preparations  as  for  a  feast,  and 
trumped  up  the  story  about  having  concealed  her  lover  in  the 
chest,  in  order  to  take  him  by  surprise  when  she  should  give 
him  the  key,  and  by  his  omitting  to  say  "I  remember"  she 
should  win  the  forfeit. 


384  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

this  egg  in  the  nest  of  deceit,  she  informed  the 
spouse  of  the  superintendent  of  poHce  that  she  had 
also  spread  her  net  and  captured  the  coveted  game  ; 
and  that  now,  the  field  being  free,  she  was  prepared 
to  see  what  fruit  the  tree  of  her  friend's  accomplish- 
ments would  bear. 

TJic  Trick  of  the  Wife  of  the  Superintendent 
of  Police. 
The  narrator  of  this  tale  causes  the  rose-bud  of  his 
rhetoric  to  blossom  from  the  dew  of  composition  as 
follows  :  When  the  wife  of  the  superintendent  of  police 
was  apprised  that  her  turn  had  come,  she  revolved 
and  meditated  for  some  time  what  trick  she  was  to 
play  off  upon  her  lord,  and  after  coming  to  a  con- 
clusion she  said  to  him  one  evening :  "  To-morrow  I 
wish  that  we  should  both  enjoy  ourselves  at  home 
without  interruption,  and  I  mean  to  prepare  some 
cakes."  He  replied:  "Very  well,  my  dear;  I  have 
longed  for  such  an  occasion."  The  lady  had  a  servant 
who  was  very  obedient  and  always  covered  with  the 
mantle  of  attachment  to  her.  Next  morning  she 
called  this  lad  and  said  to  him  :  "  I  have  long  con- 
templated the  Hyacinth^  grove  of  thy  symmetrical 
stature.  I  know  that  thou  travelest  constantly  and 
faithfully  on  the  road  of  compliance  with  all  my  wishes, 
and  that  thou  seekest  to  serve  me.      I  have  a  little 

1  .Sumlntl  :   Hyacinth,  the  name  of  the  youth. 


THE  KUTWAUS    WIFE.  385 

business  which  I  wish  thee  to  do  for  me."  The  lad 
answered :  "  I  shall  be  happy  to  comply."  Then 
the  lady  gave  him  a  thousand  dinars  and  said  :  "  Go 
to  the  convent  which  is  in  our  neighbourhood,  give 
this  money  to  one  of  the  Kalandars,^  and  say  :  '  K 
prisoner  whom  the  Amir  had  surrendered  to  the 
police  escaped  last  night.  He  resembles  thee  greatly  ; 
and  as  the  superintendent  of  police  is  unable  to  give 
account  of  his  prisoner  to  the  Amir,  he  has  despatched 
a  man  to  take  thee  instead  of  the  escaped  criminal. 
I  have  compassion  for  thee  and  mean  to  rescue  thee. 
Take  this  sum  of  money ;  give  me  thy  dress,  and  flee 
from  this  town ;  for  if  thou  remainest  till  the  morning 
thou  wilt  be  subject  to  torture  and  lose  thy  life.' " 

The  lad  acted  as  he  was  ordered ;  brought  the 
Kalandar's  garments  and  handed  them  to  his  mistress. 
When  it  was  morning  the  lady  said  to  her  husband  : 
"  I  know  you  have  long  wished  to  eat  sweetmeats, 
and,  if  you  will  allow  me,  I  will  make  some  to-day." 
He  said :  "  Very  well."  His  wife  then  made  all 
things  ready  and  began  to  bake  the  sweetmeats,  when 
the  superintendent  of  police  said  :  "  Last  night  a  theft 
was  committed  in  such  a  place  and  I  sat  up  late  to 
extort  confessions  ;  and  as  I  have  had  a  sleepless  night, 
I  feel  tired  and  wish  to  repose  a  little."  The  lady 
answered:  "Very  well;"  so  her  husband  reclined  on 
the  pillow  of  rest ;  and  when  the  sweetmeats  were 
ready  she  took  a  portion,  and  after  putting  an  opiate 

1  An  order  of  religious  mendicants. 


386  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

into  one  she  roused  him,  saying  :  "  How  long  will  you 
sleep  ?  This  is  a  day  of  feasting  and  pleasure,  not  of 
sleep  and  laziness.  Lift  up  your  head  and  see  if  I 
have  made  the  sweets  according  to  your  taste."  He 
raised  his  head  and  ate  a  piece  of  the  hot  cake  and 
presently  a  deep  sleep  overcame  him.  The  lady  at 
once  undressed  her  husband  and  put  on  him  the 
Kalandar's  garments,  and  the  slave-boy  shaved  his 
beard  and  made  tattoo  marks  on  his  body. 

When  night  had  set  in  the  lady  called  to  the  slave- 
boy:  "  Hyacinth,  take  the  superintendent  on  thy  back 
and  carry  him  to  the  convent  in  the  place  of  that 
Kalandar,  and  should  he  wish  to  return  home  in  the 
morning  do  not  allow  him."  The  lad  obeyed;  and 
towards  morning  the  superintendent  recovered  his 
senses  a  little,  but  as  the  opiate  had  made  his  palate 
very  bitter  he  became  extremely  thirsty.  He  fancied 
he  was  in  his  own  house  and  bawled  out:  "Narcissus,^ 
bring  water."  The  other  Kalandars  awoke,  and  after 
hearing  several  shouts  of  this  kind  they  concluded  he 
was  under  the  effects  of  bhang  and  said  :  "  Poor  fellow! 
The  narcissus  is  in  the  garden.  This  is  the  convent 
of  sufferers,  and  there  are  green  garments  enough  here. 
Arise  and  sober  thyself;  for  the  morning  and  harbinger 
of  benefits,  as  well  as  of  the  acquisition  of  victuals  for 
subsistence,  is  approaching."  When  the  superintendent 
heard  these  words  he  thought  they  were  in  a  dream, 
for  he  had  not  yet  fully  recovered  his  senses.     He  sat 

1  Narkis  :  Narcissus,  the  name  of  one  of  his  servants. 


THE   KUTWAVS    WIFE.  387 

quietly,  but  was  amazed  on  beholding  the  vaults  and 
ceiling  of  the  convent.  He  got  up,  looked  at  the 
clothes  in  which  he  was  dressed,  and  at  the  marks 
tattooed  on  his  body,  and  began  to  doubt  whether  he 
was  awake  or  asleep.  He  washed  his  face,  and  per- 
ceived that  the  caravan  of  his  mustachios  had  likewise 
departed  from  the  plain  of  his  countenance.  In  this 
state  of  perplexity  he  went  out  of  the  monastery  and 
proceeded  to  his  house.  There  his  wife  and  servants 
had  made  their  arrangements  and  were  expecting  his 
arrival.  Approaching  the  door  and  knocking  for 
admission.  Hyacinth  demanded:  "Whom  seekest 
thou,  O  Kalandar?"  "I  want  to  enter  the  house." 
Quoth  the  slave-boy:  "Evidently  thou  hast  taken  thy 
morning  draught  of  bhang  more  copiously  than  usual, 
since  thou  hast  thus  foolishly  mistaken  the  road  to 
thy  convent.  Depart !  This  is  not  the  place  in  which 
vagabond  Kalandars  are  harboured.  This  is  the 
mansion  of  the  superintendent  of  the  police,  and  if 
the  simurgh  should  look  uncivilly  at  this  place  from 
his  fastness  in  the  west  of  Mount  Kaf,^  the  wings  of 
his  impertinence  would  be  at  once  singed."  The 
superintendent  replied  :  "  What  nonsense  is  this  thou 
art  speaking?  Get  out  of  my  way,  for  I  do  not 
relish  thy  imbecile  prattle."  But  when  he  would  have 
entered,  Hyacinth  dealt  him  a  blow  on  the  shoulder 
with  a  bludgeon,  which  the  superintendent  returned 
with   a  box  on  the  ear,   and  they  began  to  wrestle 

1  See  note  on  page  303,  and  note  i  on  page  306. 


PERSIAN  STORIES. 


together.  Just  then  the  lady  and  her  slave-girls  rushed 
forth  from  the  rear  and  assailed  the  superintendent 
with  sticks  and  stones,  shouting :  "  This  Kalandar 
wishes  in  broad  daylight  to  force  his  way  into  the 
house  of  the  superintendent,  who  is  unfortunately  sick, 
else  he  would  have  hanged  the  rascal."  By  this  time 
all  the  neighbours  were  assembled  before  the  house, 
and  on  seeing  the  Kalandar's  shameless  proceedings 
they  exclaimed  :  "  Look  at  that  impudent  Kalandar, 
who  wants  forcibly  to  enter  the  house  of  the  superin- 
tendent!" Ultimately  the  crowd  amounted  to  more 
than  five  hundred  persons,  and  the  superintendent  was 
put  to  flight,  pursued  by  all  the  boys  of  the  town,  who 
pelted  him  with  stones. 

At  a  distance  of  three  farsangs  from  the  town  was  a 
village,  where  the  superintendent  concealed  himself  in 
a  corner  of  the  mosque.  In  the  evenings  he  went 
from  house  to  house  and  begged  for  food  to  sustain 
life,  until  his  beard  grew  again  and  the  tattoo  marks 
began  to  disappear.  Whenever  any  one  inquired  for 
the  superintendent  at  his  house,  the  answer  was,  that 
the  gentleman  was  sick.  After  a  month  had  pas.sed, 
the  grief  of  separation  and  the  misery  of  his  condition 
had  again  drawn  the  superintendent  back  to  the  city. 
He  went  to  the  monastery  because  fear  hindered  him 
from  going  to  his  own  house.  His  wife  happened  one 
day  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  him  from  a  window,  and 
perceived  him  sitting  in  the  same  dress  with  a  com- 
pany of  Kaiandars.     She  felt  compassion  for  him,  and 


THE   KUTWAVS   WIFE.  389 


thought:  "He  has  had  enough  of  this!"  Making  a 
loaf  and  putting  an  opiate  into  it,  she  said  to  the  slave- 
hoy :  "  AVhen  all  the  Kalandars  are  asleep,  go  and  place 
this  loaf  under  the  head  of  the  superintendent,"  which 
he  did  accordingly.  When  the  superintendent  awoke 
during  the  night  and  found  the  loaf,  he  supposed  it 
had  been  placed  there  by  one  of  his  companions,  and 
ate  part  of  it  and  fell  into  a  deep  sleep.  Some  hours 
afterwards,  the  slave-boy,  as  directed  by  his  mistress, 
went  to  the  convent,  and  taking  the  superintendent  on 
his  back  carried  him  home. 

When  it  was  morning  the  lady  took  off  the 
Kalandar's  dress  from  her  husband  and  clothed 
him  in  his  own  garments,  and  then  began  to  bake 
sweetmeats  as  on  the  former  occasion.  After  some 
time  the  gentleman  began  to  move,  and  his  wife 
exclaimed  :  "  O  superintendent,  do  not  sleep  so  much. 
I  have  told  you  that  we  are  to  spend  this  day  in  joy 
and  festivity,  and  it  was  not  right  of  you  to  pass  the 
time  in  this  lazy  manner.  Ijtft  up  your  head  and 
see  the  beautiful  sweetmeats  I  have  baked  for  you."" 
When  the  superintendent  opened  his  eyes  and  saw 
himself  dressed  in  his  own  clothes,  the  rose-bush 
of  his  amazement  again  brought  forth  the  flowers 
of  astonishment,  and  he  cried  :  "  God  be  praised  ! 
What  has  happened  to  me?"  He  sat  up,  and  said: 
"  Wife,  things  have  occurred  to  me  which  I  can 
hardly  describe.''  Quoth  the  lady :  "  From  your 
uneasy    motions   during    sleep,    it   appears    that    you 


390  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

have  had  very  strange  dreams."  "Strange  dreams!" 
echoed  the  husband.  "  From  the  moment  I  lay  down 
I  have  experienced  the  most  extraordinary  adventures." 
The  lady  rejoined  :  "  Assuredly  !  Last  night  you  ate 
food  which  disagreed  with  your  stomach,  and  to-day 
its  vapours  seem  to  have  ascended  into  your  brains, 
causing  you  all  this  distress."  Said  he  :  "  You  are 
right.  Last  evening  I  was  with  a  party  at  the  house 
of  Serjeant  Bahman,  where  I  heartily  partook  of  a 
pillau,  and  it  has  surely  been  the  cause  of  all  my 
trouble." 

When  the  three  companions  in  the  lists  of  deceit 
had  executed  their  different  stratagems,  they  went 
according  to  arrangement  to  the  same  bath,  in  order 
to  state  their  cases  to  the  old  hag  who  had  promised 
to  award  the  ring  to  the  most  cunning  of  the  three 
ladies ;  but  to  their  surprise  and  chagrin  they  learned 
that  she  had  departed  to  another  country,  thus  out- 
witting them  all,  and  kept  the  coveted  ring  for  herself 


THE    ENVIOUS   VAZIR. 

IN  days  of  yore  and  times  of  old  there  was  a  mer- 
chant in  Yaman  of  the  name  of  Khoja  Bashir,  who 
was  adorned  with  all  good  qualities.  He  enjoyed  the 
intimacy  of  the  king's  society,  and  the  star  of  his  good 
luck  was  so  much  in  the  ascendant  with  the  king's 


THE  ENVIOUS    VAZIR.  391 

favour  that  the  splendour  of  the  lamp  of  his  presence 
was  constantly  illuming  the  courtly  assembly  of  royalty, 
which  could  never  for  a  moment  dispense  with  it. 
The  king  was  accustomed  to  avail  himself  of  his 
advice  in  all  grave  and  subtle  affairs,  and  rewarded 
him  with  many  favours.  But  his  majesty  had  a  Vazi'r 
of  an  envious  disposition,  the  merchandise  of  whose 
unhappy  temper  was  neither  current  nor  acceptable 
in  the  warehouse  of  humane  qualities.  This  A^azi'r 
hated  Khoja  Bashi'r  because  he  was  superior  to  him- 
self in  ability  and  was  much  in  the  king's  intimacy. 
He  thus  reasoned  with  himself:  "It  is  probable  that 
the  king  will  become  alienated  from  me  and  confer 
the  vazirate  upon  Khoja  Bashir.  It  is  every  man's 
duty  to  look  after  his  own  affairs  and  endeavour  to 
remove  his  enemies.  While  Khoja  Bashir  continues 
to  drink  from  the  cup  of  life  and  dress  in  the  robe 
of  royal  favours,  the  colour  of  distress  will  never  be 
removed  from  the  face  of  the  sun  of  my  quietude,  nor 
can  my  heart  rest  for  a  moment  in  peace.  Therefore 
I  must  make  the  utmost  efforts  and  concoct  a  plan  by 
which  Khoja  Bashir  will  not  only  lose  the  regard  of 
the  king  but  be  either  put  to  death  or  exiled  from  this 
city."  Day  and  night  this  purpose  was  uppermost  in 
his  mind,  until  on  one  occasion  he  happened  to  be 
alone  with  the  sultan,  and  availing  himself  of  the 
opportunity  he  said  to  his  majesty: 

"  O  king  of  high  Hneage  and  great  power, 
By  thy  existence  the  throne's  glorj'  is  honoured  ! 


392  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

May  the  flag  of  thy  prosperity  and  grandeur  always  adorn  the 

sphere ! 
The  very  dust  of  thy  court  brightens  the  eye  of  dignity  ! 

As,  according  to  the  canons  of  government  and  the 
administration  of  affairs,  vazirs  are  called  the  keys  of 
the  treasury  of  the  regulations  of  business,  and  the 
bankers  of  the  good  and  evil  transactions  of  the 
governments  of  honoured  potentates,  I  venture  to 
trouble  your  majesty  about  a  matter  which  has  taken 
place  in  opposition  to  the  customs  of  obedience." 
The  king  said :  "  Speak,"  and  the  Vazir  thus  pro- 
ceeded :  "Two  things  injure  the  edifice  and  the 
dignity  of  government :  one  is  to  lightly  esteem 
honoured  and  respected  persons,  and  the  other  is 
to  exalt  those  who  are  mean  and  nameless.  Every 
one  who  seeks  the  shadow  of  the  humai  of  prosperity 
and  of  royalty  must  for  several  reasons  keep  in  mind 
these  two  things.  Khoja  Bashir,  the  merchant,  who 
is  placed  on  the  upper  seat  of  your  majesty's  proxi- 
mity and  regard,  is  a  man  of  low  extraction,  a  criminal, 
and  notorious  for  his  immorality.  His  wife  is  an 
adulteress,  who  has  stepped  quite  beyond  the  pale  of 
modesty,  and  scruples  not  to  be  present  and  to  roam 
in  all  assemblies  and  crowds  and  associate  with  all 
sorts  of  vagabonds  and  profligate  persons.  And  it 
is  a  matter  of  astonishment  that,  with  all  your  per- 
fections and  wisdom,  your  majesty  should  have  fallen 
into  this  heedlessness."  As  the  king  had  many  times 
tried  the  character  of  Khoja  Bashir  on  the  touchstone 


THE  ENVIOUS    VAZIR.  393 

of  examination  and  experience,  and  had  never  dis- 
covered a  flaw  in  the  gem  of  his  essence  and  qualities, 
he  was  amazed,  and,  refusing  to  assent  to  the  accusa- 
tions of  the  Vazir,  he  said  to  him  :  "  It  is  scarcely 
possible  that  I  should  associate  with  a  man  of  that 
description.  I  have  found  him  perfect,  and  the  pure 
gold  of  his  morals  void  of  the  dross  and  alloy  of  vices. 
What  you  say  about  his  character  is  far  from  probable, 
and  you  must  establish  your  asseveration  by  witnesses 
and  proofs,  that  I  may  believe  it,  else  I  shall  punish 
you  with  the  utmost  severity."  The  A'azi'r  now  re- 
gretted and  repented  of  what  he  had  said,  but  asked 
the  king  for  a  week's  respite ;  and  during  that  time 
his  mind  was  day  and  night  wandering  like  a  pen  over 
the  plain  of  composition,  and  meditating  by  what  ruse 
he  might  strike  the  lightning  of  defamation  into  the 
granary  of  the  modesty  of  Khoja  Bashir's  wife. 

In  that  city  lived  a  deceitful  old'  hag,  who  was  well 
skilled  in  all  sorts  of  cunning  tricks.  The  Vazir  sent 
for  her,  and,  after  anointing  all  the  limbs  of  her  ex- 
pectations with  the  oil  of  promises,  he  said  to  her : 
"  There  is  an  engagement  between  me  and  the  king, 
and  for  my  purpose  I  require  you  to  bring  me,  in 
any  way  you  possibly  can,  some  token  from  Khoja 
Bashir's  wife."  The  old  crone  answered  :  "  By  my 
soul !  I  shall  endeavour  my  utmost  to  do  you  this 
piece  of  service."  Next  day  she  put  on  an  old 
tattered  dress,  and  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  poor 
and  destitute  creature ;   and  going  to   the  house  of 


394  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

Khoja  Bashi'r,  as  if  to  beg,  wished  to  enter,  but  the 
porter  repulsed  her,  upon  which  she  exclaimed  :  "  O 
accursed  one  !    hast  thou  not  heard  that 

'  Whoever  impedes  the  begging  of  the  poor 
Is  a  mean  wretch,  who  will  go  to  hell '  ? 

What  loss  wilt  thou  suffer  if  I  go  into  the  prosperous 
house  of  the  Khoja  and  the  ant  of  my  hope  obtain 
one  grain  of  profit  from  the  storehouse  of  his  succour?" 
She  again  put  forth  the  foot  of  effort  to  gain  admit- 
tance, but  the  porter  held  his  staff  before  her,  and 
said  :  "  The  Khoja  is  at  present  with  the  king,  and  I 
cannot  allow  any  person  to  enter  in  his  absence." 
Hereupon  the  old  woman  threw  herself  upon  the 
ground,  and  screamed  :  "  The  doorkeeper  has  killed 
me!"  She  bit  and  wounded  her  limbs,  besmeared 
them  with  blood,  and  cried  :  "  Alas,  my  little  ones 
will  be  orphans ! "  When  the  wife  of  the  Khoja  heard 
the  clamour  of  the  hag  she  sent  the  eunuchs  out,  and 
when  they  saw  an  old  woman  lying  on  the  ground, 
apparently  in  the  agony  of  death,  they  asked  her : 
"Who  art  thou,  and  what  has  happened  to  thee?" 
She  replied  :  "I  am  a  poor,  weak,  old  woman,  and 
have  come  to  the  prosperous  mansion  of  the  Khoja  in 
the  hope  of  obtaining  assistance,  but  in  consequence 
of  my  unfounded  expectations  my  life  has  fallen  a 
prey  to  the  winds  of  annihilation  from  the  beating 
inflicted  on  me  by  the  doorkeeper."  The  eunuchs 
blamed  the  porter,  saying  :  "  Unfortunate  man !  The 
removal   of  misfortunes  and  the  attainment   of  high 


THE  ENVIOUS    VAZIR.  395 


degrees  are  connected  with  the  advent  [and  relief]  of 
mendicants.  Art  thou  not  ashamed  of  having  so  un- 
mercifully stricken  this  old  beggar-woman?"  The 
porter  swore  to  the  untruthfulness  of  her  assertions, 
and  related  the  whole  matter,  after  which  the  eunuchs 
communicated  the  facts  to  the  wife  of  the  Khoja,  who 
was  very  kind-hearted,  and  said  to  them  :  "  Bring  the 
poor  creature  in,  by  all  means,  that  I  may  investigate 
her  case ;  for  destitute  persons  and  darveshes  are  the 
caravan  of  God's  mercy  and  pity,  and  to  injure  them 
kindles  the  flame  of  his  anger." 

The  eunuchs  wrapped  the  old  hag  in  a  carpet  and 
carried  her  before  the  Khoja's  wife,  who  at  once  applied 
to  her  nostrils  different  perfumes,  such  as  castor,  san- 
dal, and  aloe.  After  a  while  the  old  crone  opened 
her  eyes  and  let  loose  the  general  of  the  caravan  of 
deceit,  namely,  her  tongue,  in  praises  and  good  wishes 
for  the  lady,  saying :  "  Noble  lady,  may  you  obtain 
the  approbation  of  God,  and  may  your  future  circum- 
stances be  still  more  prosperous  I  Had  my  weak 
limbs  not  been  strengthened  by  the  balsam  of  your 
kindness,  the  stamina  of  my  life  would  have  been  dis- 
turbed by  the  grasp  of  death  in  consequence  of  the 
ill-treatment  which  I  received  from  the  doorkeeper, 
and  my  little  children  would  have  been  afflicted  by 
the  bitter  poison  of  becoming  orphans."  Then  she 
began  freely  to  weep  and  lament,  saying:  "  O  treacher- 
ous Destiny !  thou  hast  thrown  me  into  the  heart- 
burning flames   of  the   death   of   Khoja   Tavus,   my 


396  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

husband.  Was  it  not  enough  to  deprive  me  of  so 
great  a  blessing,  and  to  subject  me  to  the  trials  of 
poverty,  and  to  compel  me  to  seek  for  a  precarious 
maintenance  for  my  children,  and  to  induce  me  to  do 
things  of  which  my  slaves  would  have  been  ashamed  ? 
O  noble  lady,  I  was  a  woman  of  honour  and  reputa- 
tion, and  of  a  very  high  family,  but  the  reverses  of 
Fortune  have  deprived  me  of  my  husband  and  pro- 
perty, and  driven  me  away  from  the  mansion  of  tran- 
quility and  comfort.  Every  day  a  thousand  destitute 
and  worthy  persons  were  supplied  from  the  table  of 
my  bounty.  But  one  day  I  sent  a  mendicant  away 
empty-handed,  and  on  that  account  the  torrent  of 
diminution  has  overthrown  the  castle  of  my  affluence, 
and  reduced  me  to  this  needy  condition.  The  poor 
are  the  spies  of  the  palace  of  monotheism  :  to  give 
them  alms,  and  to  treat  them  well,  is  an  occasion  of 
the  increase  of  the  vernal  garden  of  God's  favour ;  but 
to  disappoint  them  brings  on  the  destruction  of  the 
mansion  of  comfort  and  life. 

If  thou  debar  a  beggar  of  aid 
Thou  wilt  enjoy  no  pleasure. 
The  prayer  of  the  mendicant 
Will  preserve  thee  from  ill  luck. 
Give  thy  scraps  to  the  poor, 
That  thou  mayest  always  prosper. 

O  respected  and  noble  lady,  the  fame  of  Khoja 
Bashir's  liberal  disposition  has  to-day  induced  me  to 
apply  at  this  place.     I  came  here  eagerly  to  obtain  a 


THE  ENVIOUS    VAZIR.  397 


morsel  of  your  bounty  ;  but  as  such  an  accident  has 
befallen  me,  God  be  praised,  what  other  remedy  is 
there  but  patience  and  gratitude  ?  What  use  is  there 
to  contend  with  Fate?" 

By  this  address  the  old  hag  had  so  well  sown  the 
seeds  of  weeping  and  lamentation  in  the  net  of  incan- 
tation, and  had  so  dexterously  sung  the  threnody 
of  her  sadness  and  poverty,  that  the  unsuspecting 
bird  of  the  lady's  simplicity  was  taken  in  the  meshes 
of  her  ruse.  The  lady  wept,  and  begged  her  pardon 
for  the  injuries  she  had  received  from  the  doorkeeper, 
and  said :  "  Wait  until  the  Khoja  returns  home,  and  I 
will  give  thee  gold  and  silver  enough  for  the  comfort 
of  the  remainder  of  thy  life,  and  thou  wilt  not  need  to 
make  any  more  demands  on  the  liberality  of  others. 
Though  thou  seest  much  property  here,  I  am  not  able 
to  dispose  of  it  without  my  husband's  permission." 
The  old  crone  waited  till  evening,  but  the  Khoja  had 
not  returned,  so  she  said :  "  Honoured  lady,  the 
Kheja  has  not  yet  come,  and  my  little  children,  who 
know  that  I  have  taken  refuge  at  this  threshold,  are 
expecting  to  participate  in  his  bounty."  The  lady 
divested  herself  of  a  robe,  handed  it  to  the  old  trot, 
and  said  :  "  This  dress  is  my  own  property ;  sell  it 
and  provide  for  your  orphans,  until  I  get  something 
handsome  for  you  from  the  Khoja  in  the  morning." 

The  old  woman  took  the  robe  and  hastened  with  it 
to  the  house  of  the  Vazir,  saying  to  him  :  ''I  have 
obtained   an   evident  token  from   the  wife  of  Khoja 


398  PERSIAN  S  TO  RISE. 


Bashi'r."  The  Vazi'r  was  extremely  rejoiced,  and  pro- 
ceeded that  very  night  to  the  king  after  the  Khoja 
had  departed  to  say  his  prayers,  and,  showing  the 
dress,  said  :  "  May  the  spheres  always  revolve  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  your  majesty,  and  may  the  sun  of 
your  prosperity  shine  in  the  zenith  of  good  fortune ! 
Your  humble  servant  has  brought  a  token  of  the  guilt 
of  Khoja  Bashir's  wife,  who  often  comes  to  me ;  but, 
in  consideration  of  my  virtue  and  of  the  favour  which 
I  enjoy  from  your  majesty,  as  well  as  because  of  the 
good  will  I  bear  towards  Khoja  Bashi'r,^  I  have  always 
tried  to  dissuade  her  from  her  misconduct  and  never 
admitted  her  into  my  house.  Last  night,  however, 
for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  some  proof  of  her  guilt  I 
sent  for  her ;  she  was  with  me  till  morning,  and  this  is 
a  sign  of  her  presence.  Even  this  evening  she  came 
again,  but  I  sent  her  away.  Let  this  robe  be  shown 
to  Khoja  Bashi'r,  and  if  he  should  not  recognise  it  I 
shall  find  means  to  give  him  the  particulars."  The 
king  was  greatly  displeased,  and  the  vazi'r  took  his 
leave.  When  Khoja  Bashir  returned  the  king  said 
nothing  to  him  about  the  affair,  and  the  Khoja,  as 
usual,  slept  in  the  palace.  But  when  the  belle  of  the 
morn  invested  herself  with  the  robe  of  dawn  and 
seated  herself  in  the  edifice  of  the  Orient,  the  king 
showed  the  garment  to  Khoja  Bashir,  saying :  "  Last 
night  the  police  met  a  gang  of  thieves  and  took  this 

1  The  Vazir  forgot  that  he  had  previously  told  the  king  that 
the  Khoja  was  "  notorious  for  his  immorality  "• — p.  392. 


THE  ENVIOUS    VAZIR.  399 

dress  from  them.  I  wonder  whose  it  may  be  ?"  As 
soon  as  the  Khoja's  eye  ahghted  on  the  garment  he 
recognised  it,  trembled  and  became  pale,  and  said  : 
"The  dress  belongs  to  one  of  your  servant's  house- 
hold ;  but  as  I  have  been  for  some  time  in  attendance 
on  your  majesty,  I  do  not  know  what  has  happened  in 
my  family."  Then  said  the  king  :  "  You  vile  wretch  ! 
Are  you  not  ashamed  to  keep  so  guilty  a  woman  in 
your  house,  who  spends  every  night  in  the  company 
of  a  fresh  lover?  Last  night  your  wife  was  in  the 
house  of  the  Vazi'r  till  morning,  and  this  dress  has 
been  brought  to  me  as  a  proof  of  the  fact.  I  am  in 
fault  to  have  admitted  such  an  unprincipled  fellow 
into  my  society."  Khoja  Bashi'r  was  thunder-struck ; 
but  as  he  had  no  reason  to  doubt  his  wife's  modesty, 
he  knew  that  this  was  a  trick  of  the  Vazir.  He  tried 
in  vain  to  undeceive  the  king,  who  was  so  excited  that 
he  at  once  issued  orders  for  his  execution,  and  so 
he  was  taken  from  the  palace  to  the  place  where  he 
was  to  be  put  to  death. 

The  Khoja  had  a  slave-boy  who  was  much  attached 
to  him,  and  he  ran  to  the  house  and  informed  his 
master's  wife  of  what  had  happened.  The  lady  said  : 
"There  is  no  harm  done.  I  gave  away  the  dress 
in  charity  and  for  the  sake  of  gaining  favour  with 
the  Most  High  ;  nor  can  the  promise  which  he  has 
given  with  reference  to  the  beneficent  ever  fail  in  its 
effects,  and  he  will  not  allow  any  ill  to  befall  the 
Khoja."     She  handed  a  purse  of  gold  to  the  lad  and 


400  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

bade  him  give  it  to  the  executioners,  to  induce  them  to 
delay  carrying  out  the  sentence  on  the  Khoja,  to  which 
they  wiUingly  consented,  as  they  had  received  many 
favours  from  him  while  he  was  in  the  king's  service. 
In  the  meantime  the  Khoja's  wife  threw  a  veil  over 
her  head  and  went  to  the  palace,  where  she  found  the 
Vazi'r,  who  had  come  to  prevent  any  attempt  that 
might  be  made  to  rescue  the  Khoja.  The  lady 
exclaimed  :  "  O  king,  I  seek  justice  from  the  tyranny 
and  wickedness  of  the  Vazir  !"  Said  the  king  :  "  What 
injustice  has  the  Vazir  done  you?"  She  answered: 
"  I  am  a  stipendiary  of  grandees,  and  in  this  way  do 
I  gain  my  livelihood.  It  is  almost  fifteen  years  since  I 
began  to  wait  on  the  Vazir.  He  promised  to  give  me 
nine  hundred  dirhams  annually,  but  he  now  presumes 
upon  his  high  station  and  gives  me  nothing.  Last 
night  when  I  asked  him  for  what  is  due  to  me  he 
threatened  to  have  me  killed."  The  Vazir  was  amazed, 
and  on  being  questioned  by  the  king  said  :  "  This 
woman  speaks  what  is  not  true.  I  swear  by  the  head 
of  your  majesty  that  I  have  never  seen  her  nor  do  I 
know  her."  Then  the  lady  said :  "  He  has  made  a 
false  oath  by  the  head  of  his  benefactor  !  Let  him 
write  down  his  assertion,  and  if  his  treachery  should 
become  evident  to  your  majesty  let  him  be  duly 
punished."  The  Vazir  arose  and  scrutinised  the  face 
and  stature  of  the  lady,  and  then  wrote  a  declaration 
that  he  had  never  seen  or  known  this  woman,  and 
that  if  his  assertion  proved  false  he  would  resign  his 


THE  ENVIOUS    VAZIR.  401 

life  and  leave  his  blood  to  be  licked  by  the  dogs. 
After  the  Vazir  had  delivered  this  paper  to  the  king, 
the  lady  said  :  "  Let  it  be  known  to  the  exalted  mind 
of  your  majesty  that  I  am  the  wife  of  Khoja  Bashir, 
the  merchant,  against  whom  this  tyrannical  individual, 
to  satisfy  his  hatred  and  envy,  concocted  this  stratagem 
with  reference  to  me.  God  the  Most  High  has  said 
that  whoever  uses  cunning  towards  another  shall  also 
be  over-reached  by  cunning."  She  then  explained  the 
matter  fully,  and  added  :  "  As  the  Vazir  declares  that 
he  does  not  know  me,  how  could  I  have  been  with 
him  last  night?" 

The  king  became  convinced  of  the  treachery  of  the 
Vazir,  who  was  overwhelmed  wath  shame  and  fell,  as 
it  were,  into  the  agonies  of  death.  Khoja  Bashir  was 
by  the  king's  order  immediately  brought  back  from 
the  place  of  execution,  and  his  wife  returned  to  her 
house.  The  old  hag  was  produced  and  examined, 
but  would  not  confess  until  the  instruments  of  torture 
were  brought,  when  she  spoke  as  follows  :  "As  women 
are  of  imperfect  understanding,^  I  cannot  be  guilty. 
At  the  instigation  of  the  Vazir  I  entered  the  house  of 
the  Khoja,  where  that  virtuous  and  modest  lady,  his 
wife,    took   off   the   robe   from   her   own    body    and 

1  Among  the  slanderous  sayings  about  women  ascribed  (falsely, 
many  of  them,  no  doubt)  to  Muhammed  is  this  :  "  They  are 
deficient  in  sense  and  religion,  and  hence  are  more  disposed 
than  men  to  practise  what  is  unlawful." — In  Eastern  tales  most 

agical  things  are  done  by  women. 

2   D 


402  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

bestowed  it  on  me  for  the  sake  of  God.  Disregarding 
her  kindness,  the  greediness  of  my  disposition  induced 
me  to  transgress  the  straight  path,  in  order  to  obtain 
the  reward  promised  to  me  by  the  Vazir."  The  king 
caused  both  the  Vazir  and  the  old  hag  to  be  suspended 
on  the  gallows.  He  approved  the  prudent  demeanour 
of  the  wife  of  Khoja  Bashi'r,  begged  pardon  of  the 
Khoja,  and  installed  him  into  the  dignity  of  the  Vazir, 
whose  whole  property  he  bestowed  upon  him. 


THE    BLIND    BEGGAR. 

THERE  was  a  man  in  Tabriz  the  orbs  of  whose 
vision  were  deprived  of  the  faculty  of  seeing,  and 
the  stature  of  his  circumstances  had   lost  the  robe 
of  wealth.     He  went  from  house  to  house  begging 
and  was  in  the  habit  of  chanting  these  verses  : 
"  Whoever  turns  his  face  from  the  road  of  justice, 

His  breast  will  become  a  target  for  the  shafts  of  misfortune." 

One  day  he  went  about  according  to  his  custom,  and 
having  stopped  near  a  rich  man's  house,  he  began  to 
beg,  and  also  recited  the  above  distich.  The  master 
of  the  house  refreshed  his  thirsty  lips  with  the 
pleasant  shower  of  a  gift  and  said :  "  I  have  often 
heard  you  chant  these  words  ;  tell  me  your  reason  for 
so  doing."     The  blind  man  thus  replied  : 

"  Kind  and   humane   Sir,  why  do  you  ask  me  to 


THE  BLIND  BEGGAR.  403 

relate  to  you  an  event  which  is  sad,  and  still  rankles 
in  my  heart?  My  birth-place  is  in  Syria,  near 
Damascus.  My  father  in  the  beginning  of  his  career 
was  a  hawker,  and  in  that  business  he  considered 
honesty,  piety,  and  justice  as  the  principal  stock-in- 
trade  of  the  shop  of  his  livelihood.  By  the  blessing 
of  these  upright  principles  his  condition  was  improved, 
and  day  by  day  the  darkness  of  his  poverty  was  being 
dispelled  by  the  lamp  of  prosperity ;  his  wealth  gradu- 
ally increased  so  much  that  he  became  a  dealer  in 
jewels,  and  having  with  some  other  merchants  under- 
taken an  expedition  to  Bahrayn,  he  bought  there  a 
great  quantity  of  pearls  and  returned  home.  He 
engaged  in  that  business  with  several  assistants  and 
the  star  of  his  good  fortune  was  daily  rising  till  it 
culminated,  and  he  became  one  of  the  wealthiest  men 
in  that  country.  The  diver  in  the  sea  of  Destiny 
extracted  the  pearl  of  my  father's  life  from  the  shell  of 
his  existence.  All  his  property  became  mine ;  and 
having  sat  down  in  the  depository  of  my  father's 
welfare  and  ease,  I  spread  like  him  the  carpet  of  the 
self-same  employment  and  occupation.  The  tree  of 
greediness  for  money  had  struck  deep  roots  in  my 
heart ;  and  worldliness  had'  obtained  such  a  complete 
dominion  over  me  that  I  was  deprived  once  for  all 
of  the  reins  of  self-control.  In  lucrative  speculations 
and  mercantile  transactions  I  took  dishonesty  and 
fraud  into  my  partnership ;  and,  although  I  en- 
deavoured to  cover  the  reproving  eye  of  conscience 


404  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

with  the  sleeve  of  prohibition,  I  was  unable  to  cope 
with  my  insatiable  greediness.  It  is  considered  as 
very  mean  to  commence  business  in  the  bazar  before 
sunrise,  but  I  was  in  the  habit  of  doing  so,  ^  and  one 
day,  just  when  I  had  opened  my  shop,  there  came 
a  man  of  sinister  aspect,  from  whose  face  the  jaundice 
of  poverty  had  wiped  off  the  bloom  of  health.  He 
began  to  praise  God,  and,  having  drawn  from  his 
pocket  a  precious  pearl,  thus  addressed  me  :  "  Young 
man,  I  had  once  great  riches  and  possessions,  but 
by  a  sudden  reverse  of  fortune  I  was  made  penniless 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  all  that  has  remained 
to  me  is  this  pearl.  The  destitution  of  my  family  and 
my  own  difficulties  have  compelled  me  to  offer  it 
for  sale  in  order  to  ward  off  other  evils,  until  the 
breeze  of  prosperity  again  begins  to  blow  towards  me." 
I  took  the  pearl  from  his  hand,  and  although  it  was 
extremely  valuable  and  I  was  astonished  at  its  beauty, 
purity,  and  splendour,  yet,  influenced  by  the  cunning 
of  our  trade,  I  turned  contemptuously  towards  the 
man  and  said  :  "  This  pearl  is  not  so  precious  as  you 
suppose  ;  your  poverty,  however,  induces  me  to  buy  it. 
What    is    the   price?"      Then    I    pretended   to   busy 

1  In  the  "  History  of  Farrukhriiz" — p.  179 — we  find  that  it  is 
dangerous  to  open  shops  before  sunrise,  because  if  shopkeepers 
do  so  they  become  liable  to  be  injured  by  genii  and  demons  ; 
and  it  will  be  seen  from  the  jiresent  story  that  the  wretched 
narrator  had  too  much  cause  to  regret  his  "early  opening" 
practice. 


THE  BLIND  BEGGAR.  405 

myself  with  something  else,  but  the  desire  to  possess 
the  pearl  had  pervaded  my  whole  being,  and  I  was 
afraid  lest  it  should  become  the  prey  of  another  dealer. 
The  man  replied :  "  Dear  friend,  though  you  see  me 
now  in  a  state  of  distress,  there  was  a  time  when  I 
presented  many  such  pearls  to  my  friends.  It  is  not 
worth  while  to  make  so  much  about  the  sale  of  a 
single  pearl,  and  I  myself  am  perfectly  aware  of  its 
real  value ;  but  as  I  have  come  to  your  shop  I  should 
feel  ashamed  to  go  round  the  others.  Your  own  skill 
and  knowledge  are  perfectly  competent  to  decide  this 
matter,  and  you  may  offer  me  whatever  you  think  just 
and  equitable."  He  then  handed  the  pearl  to  me 
once  more,  and  though  I  contended  with  my  greedi- 
ness to  offer  him  one  half  of  its  value  my  wicked 
nature  would  not  consent.  I  drew  forth  twenty 
dirhams  from  my  pocket  and  placed  them  before  him. 
He  took  the  money,  and  drawing  a  deep  sigh  he 
exclaimed:  "What  justice  and  humanity!"  and  went 
his  way.  I  was  highly  pleased  at  having  thus  obtained 
a  gem  for  twenty  dirhams  which  would  have  been 
cheap  at  a  thousand.  I  drew  every  moment  the  comb 
of  complacency  over  the  mustachios  of  my  shrewd- 
ness, and  placed  the  hand  of  approbation  on  the 
shoulder  of  my  expertness,  and  never  suspected  that 
the  day  of  retribution  would  overtake  me. 

"  Only  two  days  had  elapsed  after  this  transaction 
when  I  again  opened  my  shop  at  sunrise,  before  any 
other  inhabitant  of  the  bazar  had  begun  to  stir.    I  was 


406  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

arranging  my  shop  when  one  of  the  principal  citizens 
passed  on  horseback,  and,  thrusting  my  head  out  from 
the  door  to  see  who  the  cavaHer  was,  the  horse  shied, 
the  rider  was  thrown  violently  to  the  ground  and  im- 
mediately expired.  A  crowd  of  attendants  that  fol- 
lowed fell  on  me,  beat  me  with  sticks,  and  then  tied 
my  hands.  The  other  shopkeepers,  who  were  un- 
friendly towards  me  on  account  of  my  greediness  of 
gain,  began  to  gather  round  me ;  they  heartily  wished 
that  I  might  fall  into  some  scrape,  and  much  as  I 
tried  to  explain  no  one  paid  any  attention ;  but  one 
of  them  said  :  '  The  accumulation  of  wealth  by  the 
unworthy  and  dishonest  clearly  points  to  accidents 
like  this.'  So  much  of  this  kind  of  talk  passed  that 
the  majority  were  convinced  of  my  guilt,  and  declared 
that  I  had  killed  the  man.  The  police,  having  tied 
my  hands  and  neck  together,  took  me  before  the 
Amir  of  Damascus,  who  was  a  rapacious  man  and 
coveted  riches.  He  considered  this  as  a  very  good 
opportunity  to  attain  his  end;  and  the  guards  also 
said  that,  by  the  corruscation  of  the  Amir's  star  of 
prosperity,  this  day  a  wonderfully  fat  piece  of  game 
had  fallen  into  their  hands.  No  time  was  given  me 
to  explain  :  the  Amir  made  a  sign  that  I  should  be 
decapitated.  Some  of  the  bystanders,  however, 
pleaded  for  mercy,  and  I  was  fined  a  thousand  gold 
dinars. 

"  By   the    depredation    of   this    misfortune    I    was 
mulcted   of    more    than    half   of   my    property,    and, 


THE  BLIND   BEGGAR.  407 

although  the  loins  of  my  patience  had  been  crushed 
by  the  burden  of  this  loss,  I  again  spread  out  on 
all  sides  the  net  of  acquisition,  and  the  sportsman 
of  my  mind  was  running  about  in  search  of  the  game 
of  wealth,  when  one  day,  while  I  was  sitting  in  my 
shop,  two  well-dressed  women  came  up,  one  of  whom 
had  a  baby  in  her  arms,  the  other  carried  a  casket, 
and  both  sat  down  on  the  threshold  of  the  shop. 
The  woman  with  the  child  in  her  arms  took  some 
gold  ashrafis  from  her  pocket,  and,  handing  them 
to  the  other,  said  :  '  Give  this  money  to  Haji  Jalal 
Kazvini  for  the  articles  which  you  bought  yesterday, 
and  say  that  I  shall  send  him  the  balance  to-morrow. 
Tell  him  also  that  he  must  quickly  procure  the  jewels 
which  are  required,  because  the  wedding  is  to  take 
place  in  ten  days.  I  will  wait  here  for  you ;  return 
speedily  with  an  answer.'  When  the  woman  had 
departed  on  her  errand  I  became  anxious  for  gain, 
because  I  had  heard  a  wedding  spoken  of  and  had 
seen  the  gold  ashrafis;  so  I  said  to  her  who  remained: 
'  Lady  of  the  haram  of  modesty,  where  have  you  sent 
your  companion?'  She  replied:  'The  daughter  of 
such  a  citizen  is  to  be  given  in  marriage  to  the  vazir's 
son,  and  we,  being  attached  to  the  household  of  the 
young  lady,  have  come  to  the  bazar,  because  we  were 
in  need  of  some  fine  linen  and  jewels  ;  the  first  we 
bought  yesterday  of  Haji  Jalal  and  have  now  sent  him 
the  price,  with  orders  to  procure  the  jewels  as  soon  as 
possible.'     On  hearing  this,  I  poured  a  considerable 


4o8  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

sum  of  money  into  the  pocket  of  my  imagination,  and 
I  said  to  her :  '  Noble  and  honoured  lady,  I  have 
many  precious  jewels.  Allow  me  to  exhibit  them  to 
you,  and  you  may  choose  those  which  you  consider 
suitable ;  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  agreeing  about 
the  price.'  The  woman  answered :  '  The  lady  to 
whom  the  jewels  are  to  be  submitted  for  approbation 
is  very  nice  in  her  choice  and  difficult  to  please. 
During  the  last  few  days  we  have  shown  her  many 
jewels,  but  she  desires  to  see  only  high-priced  gems ; 
besides,  we  have  already  bargained  with  Haji  Jalal 
and  bought  jewels  of  him,  and  he  is  very  considerate 
towards  ourselves.'  When  she  had  spoken  thus,  I 
knocked  at  the  door  of  compliance  and  observed  : 
'  Nor  would  I  be  disposed  to  forfeit  your  good  will, 
because  thereby  I  should  be  greatly  benefited  in  the 
profitable  transaction  of  business  with  great  people.' 
She  said  :  '  We  shall  see.'  While  we  were  thus  con- 
versing her  companion  returned  and  handed  her  a 
string  of  valuable  pearls.  She  cast  a  glance  at  me, 
whispered  something  to  her  companion,  and  then 
continued  speaking  to  her  aloud :  '  Since  you  have 
brought  them,  let  them  remain  also.'  Turning  to  me, 
she  said  :  '  Show  us  your  jewels.'  I  produced  a  small 
box  which  contained  my  principal  stock,  displayed 
the  most  rare  and  beautiful  pearls  and  gems  which 
I  possessed,  and  stated  the  price  of  each.  I  also 
fixed  the  price  of  the  pearl  which  I  bought  from 
that  stranger  at  two  thousand  dirhams.     llie  woman 


THE  BLIND  BEGGAR.  409 

said :  '  I  cannot  tell  whether  they  will  approve  of 
these  or  not.'  She  sealed  the  box,  took  out  her 
tablets  and  wrote  something,  which  she  delivered 
with  the  box  to  her  companion,  and  said  to  me : 
'  I  shall  remain  here,  while  the  lady  of  the  house 
makes  her  choice.  If  you  like,  you  may  send  some- 
body with  my  friend,  in  order  to  learn  where  the 
house  is.'  I  had  a  faithful  servant  whom  I  sent  along 
with  her  companion,  and  the  woman  herself  sat  down 
in  my  shop.  Presently  two  men  in  the  bazar  began 
to  quarrel,  and  when  they  reached  my  door  they  drew 
their  swords  and  began  to  fight.  A  great  crowd 
gathered  quickly,  and  the  men  of  the  Amir  also  came 
to  fetch  those  who  had  witnessed  the  affair.  They 
compelled  the  shopkeepers  to  follow  and  dragged  me 
also  with  them.  Meanwhile  the  woman  remained 
sitting  in  my  shop  with  the  child  in  her  arms,  and 
said  to  me :  '  Do  not  be  uneasy  about  your  shop, 
for  I  will  take  care  of  it  till  you  return.'  I  proceeded 
a  few  paces,  till  it  occurred  to  me  that  the  woman 
might  deceive  me,  so  I  said  to  the  butcher  whose 
shop  was  next  to  mine:  'Take  care  of  this  woman.' 
As  he  had  no  knowledge  of  my  transaction  with  her, 
he  supposed  that  I  wished  him  to  take  care  of  the 
shop  only,  and  said  :   '  All  right.' 

"  As  some  time  had  elapsed  since  my  servant  went 
with  the  woman  and  the  box  of  jewels  and  had  not 
yet  returned,  and  as  the  other  woman  was  by  herself 
in  my  shop,  I  was  full  of  anxiety  and  went   with  an 


4IO  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

oppressed  heart  to  the  court  of  the  Amir.  When  I 
arrived  there  all  the  witnesses  had  been  examined  and 
discharged.  I  was  taken  into  the  presence  of  the 
Amir  to  give  my  testimony,  but  being  in  a  very  dis- 
tracted state  of  mind  I  gave  my  evidence  in  a  way 
which  did  not  correspond  with  that  of  the  other 
witnesses.  The  Amir  smiled  and  said :  '  This  is 
the  wretch  who  killed  such  a  man,'  and  the  people 
said  :  '  So  it  is  ! '  The  Amir  continued  :  '  This  is  the 
reason  why  his  evidence  is  contradicting  that  of  all  the 
others  ;  such  a  worthless  fellow  deserves  to  be  severely 
punished.'  When  I  was  led  out  of  the  palace  I  gave 
a  large  sum  to  the  officials  to  induce  them  to  take  bail 
of  respectable  persons  and  set  me  at  liberty. 

"  On  returning  to  my  shop,  the  woman  was  gone, 
and  my  servant  was  sitting  alone  crying  and  in  sore 
distress.  I  asked  him  what  had  become  of  the  jewels 
and  the  woman  he  accompanied ;  and  he  in  his  turn 
inquired  what  had  become  of  the  woman  he  had  left 
in  the  shop  with  me.  I  told  him  that  I  had  committed 
her  to  the  care  of  the  butcher,  and  demanded  to  know 
where  he  had  been  and  what  he  had  done  with  the 
box  of  jewels.  He  replied  :  '  You  gave  the  box  to  the 
woman,  and  ordered  me  simply  to  follow  her  so  as  to 
learn  where  the  house  is,  and  this  I  did.  I  went  with 
her  from  the  l)azar  and  passed  through  several  streets 
until  we  reached  the  street  of  the  Forty  Virgins ;  she 
stopped  at  the  door  of  a  house,  before  which  a  number 
of  respectable  peo[)le  were   sitting,  and   l)ade  me  sit 


THE  BLIND  BEGGAR.  411 

down  till  she  came  out  again.  The  woman  went  in, 
and  I  remained  waiting  for  her  till  near  noon,  but  she 
did  not  make  her  appearance.  When  it  was  mid-day 
and  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  muezzin,  and  beheld 
crowds  entering  the  house,  I  supposed  that  somebody 
had  died  there  and  that  the  people  were  going  to 
condole  with  the  relatives.  After  a  while  they  all 
came  out  again.  At  last  I  asked  one  of  the  people  : 
"  Does  the  woman  who  went  in  here  not  intend  to 
come  out  at  all?"  The  man  laughed  and  said: 
"  Whose  house  do  you  suppose  this  is  ?  And  what 
woman  are  you  speaking  about  ?  Step  forward,  there 
is  none  to  prohibit  you,  and  see  what  place  this  house 
is."  I  arose  from  my  seat  and  entered  the  portico 
with  fear  and  apprehension,  and  proceeded  till  I 
reached  the  interior  of  a  mosque  where  I  saw  people 
engaged  in  prayer.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
mosque  I  saw  an  open  door  through  which  people 
were  also  coming  and  going.  Then  I  knew  that  the 
woman  must  have  passed  through  it.  I  went  out  by 
that  door  and  saw  women  like  her  walking  about,  but 
as  there  was  nothing  particular  in  her  dress  by  which 
I  might  have  recognised  her,  and  not  knowing  her 
name,  I  wandered  through  the  streets  for  some  time 
and  then  hopelessly  returned  to  the  shop.'^ 

1  We  see  from  this  story  that  Oriental  sharpers  are  not  a  whit 
behind  their  European  brethren  in  swindling  tricks — such  as, 
despite  the  publicity  given  to  them  in  the  newspapers,  continue 
to  be  perpetrated  every  day  in  great  cities. 


412  PEKSIAN  STORIES. 

"  I  was  choked  with  grief  at  these  tidings,  and 
ahnost  lost  my  senses.  I  went  to  the  butcher  and 
asked  him  what  had  become  of  the  woman  whom  I 
had  left  to  his  care,  and  he  answered :  '  When  did 
you  entrust  a  woman  to  me  ?  You  only  asked  me  to 
look  after  your  shop.  When  you  were  gone  I  noticed 
a  woman  sitting  there  with  a  child  in  her  arms,  and 
I  asked  her  with  whom  she  had  any  business,  to 
which  she  replied  :  "I  want  a  sum  of  money  from  the 
jeweller."  Presently  she  brought  the  child  and  said  : 
"  Let  this  child  remain  here  till  I  come  back,"  and 
went  away,  and  there  is  the  child  in  your  shop.' 
I  said :  '  Bring  it  out,  that  I  may  see  it.'  The 
butcher  did  so,  and  when  I  raised  the  veil  from  its 
face  we  discovered  that  it  was  a  plaster  figure  dressed 
up  as  an  infant.  I  said  to  the  butcher :  '  This  is 
a  very  strange  child!'  He  replied:  'Leave  off 
joking ;  go  in  and  inquire  for  the  woman.'  I  con- 
tinued :  '  I  entrusted  the  woman  to  your  care,  and  I 
want  you  to  produce  her.  She  remained  in  my  shop 
as  a  pledge  for  more  than  three  thousand  tomans' 
worth  of  jewels.'  He  replied:  'You  fool!  Perhaps 
I  was  your  servant,  that  I  should  take  care  of  the 
woman,  instead  of  your  doing  so  yourself!'  I  was  in 
so  great  a  state  of  excitement  that  I  took  up  his  great 
knife  which  was  lying  near  me  and  threw  it  at  him  ; 
it  wounded  him  in  the  face.  His  friends  and  neigh- 
bours seized  and  carried  me  before  the  Amir,  who 
ordered  them  to  kill  me.      I'ut  there  were  many  that 


THE  BLIND  BEGGAR.  413 

said  :  '  This  man  is  crazy  :  of  what  use  could  it  be  to 
kill  him  ?  Let  his  possessions  be  confiscated,  and 
himself  be  expelled  from  the  city,  as  a  warning  to 
others.' 

"  All  that  I  possessed  was  taken  from  me  as  a 
mulct  for  my  crime,  and  being  driven  out  of  the  city, 
I  went  away  poor  and  naked.  When  I  reached  the 
desert  I  lost  my  road,  and  wandered  about  thirsty  and 
hungry  for  ten  days,  bitterly  lamenting  my  misfor- 
tunes. Suddenly  a  man  met  me  and  mounted  me  on 
a  camel.  Having  carried  me  into  the  main  road,  he 
asked  me  whether  I  knew  him.  I  said  :  '  Your  voice 
seems  to  be  that  of  a  friend.'  He  continued:  'I  am 
the  man  who  sold  you  the  pearl  for  twenty  dirhams  to 
try  your  honesty,  and  I  have  it  with  me  now ' ;  and 
putting  his  hand  into  his  wallet  he  drew  forth  the 
same  pearl  and  showed  it  to  me,  saying  :  '  Know  that 
I  am  King  Akabil,  and  that  several  thousands  of  genii 
are  subject  to  me,  and  my  occupation  is  to  go  about 
in  the  cities  and  bazars  under  various  disguises,  to 
discover  whether  people  are  honest  in  their  dealings. 
AMien  I  find  one  upright  I  always  remain  his  friend 
and  helper ;  but  when  I  see  a  man  who  is  unjust 
and  fraudulent,  I  endanger  his  life  and  property. 
You  ought  to  know  that  base  actions  are  unrighteous- 
ness and  deceit  towards  your  fellow  beings.  On 
account  of  your  deceitfulness  and  injustice,  the 
granary  of  your  immense  property  has  in  a  very  short 
time  been  blown  away  by  the  wind  of  non-existence.' 


414  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

I  began  to  cry  and  complain,  but  he  said  :  '  Remorse 
is  now  of  no  avail,'  and  disappeared  from  my  sight. 
So  I  came  to  this  country  and  am  wandering  about 
in  a  state  of  helplessness  and  destitution,  in  bitter 
repentance  and  grief  for  my  former  dishonesty  and  the 
loss  of  my  property.  Whatever  I  undertook,  nothing 
succeeded,  and  at  last  I  became  blind.  Now  begging 
has  become  my  trade ;  and  the  reason  why  I  always 
chant  the  same  distich  is  that  neither  the  high  nor 
the  low  should  quit  the  road  of  honesty  and  justice, 
lest  they  be  exiled,  like  myself,  from  the  abode  of 
peace  and  prosperity." 


THE    KAZI    OF    GHAZNI    AND    THE 
MERCHANT'S   WIFE. 

DURING  the  reign  of  Sultan  Mahmiid  Sabaktaghin,' 
of  Ghazni,  a  man  was  travelling  from  Aderbaijan 
to  Hindustan ;  and  when  he  arrived  in  Ghaznf,  he  was 
much  pleased  with  the  climate  and  resolved  to  settle 
there.  As  he  had  great  experience  in  commerce,  he 
went  to  the  bazar,  became  a  broker,  and  was  very 
successful  in  business.  He  intended  to  marry,  and 
Fortune  being  propitious  to  him,  he  entered  into  a 

1  Mahmud  ruled  in  Ghazni  from  A.  ii.  997  till  A.D.  1030.  It 
was  at  his  refjuest  that  the  Persian  poet  Firdausi  composed  his 
grand  ejiic,  the  Shah  Ntviia,  or  Book  of  Kings. 


THE  KAZI  AND  MERCHANTS    WIFE.       415 

matrimonial  alliance  with  a  virtuous  and  handsome 
young  woman.  By  degrees  his  business  became  more 
and  more  flourishing,  and,  having  accumulated  much 
wealth,  he  was  numbered  among  the  richest  merchants. 
Wishing  to  extend  his  transactions  to  Hindustan,  he 
sent  goods  to  that  country ;  but  as  he  had  no  connec- 
tions or  intimate  friends  who  might  take  charge  of  his 
wife  till  his  return,  this  thought  troubled  him  greatly  ; 
and  as  it  is  the  first  duty  of  a  respectable  man  to  be 
on  his  guard  in  this  matter,  and  not  to  hazard  his 
reputation  and  honour,  he  determined  not  to  start  on 
his  journey  till  he  had  provided  an  asylum  for  his 
spouse.  The  Kazi  of  the  city  being  noted  for  his 
piety,  virtue,  and  honour,  the  merchant  said  to  him- 
self: "  I  cannot  do  better  than  entrust  the  keeping  of 
my  wife  to  so  godly  and  honest  a  man,  who  enjoys 
the  esteem  of  rich  and  poor ;  so  she  shall  remain  in 
his  house  until  I  return  from  my  journey." 

The  merchant  hastened  to  make  his  obeisance  to  the 
Kazi,  and  said  :  "  O  president  of  the  judgment-seat 
of  truth  and  piety,  from  whose  highly  gifted  and 
penetrating  intellect  the  explanations  of  religious  and 
secular  questions  flow,  and  by  whose  essentially  holy 
authority  the  commendatory  and  prohibitory  laws  are 
corroborated — may  your  most  righteous  opinion  always 
remain  the  guide  of  those  who  seek  to  walk  in  the 
straight  path  of  piety  !  I,  your  humble  servant,  am  an 
inhabitant  of  this  city,  and  it  is  my  intention  to  under- 
take a  journey  to  Hindustan.     I  have  a  young  wife, 


4i6  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

the  leaves  of  whose  modesty  and  virtue  are  bound  up 
in  the  splendid  volume  of  her  natural  excellence  ;  and 
as  I  have  nobody  who  might  protect  and  take  care  of 
her,  and  lest  she  should  fall  under  the  obloquy  of  false 
tongues,  I  venture  to  hope  that  she  may  find  refuge 
with  your  lordship."  The  Kazi  placed  the  seal  of 
acquiescence  upon  this  request,  and  said  that  he 
would  take  charge  of  her ;  and  the  merchant,  having 
furnished  his  wife  with  money  to  defray  all  the  neces- 
sary expenses  for  a  year,  delivered  her  to  the  Kazi,  and 
set  out  on  his  journey. 

The  lady  passed  all  her  time  in  the  house  of  the 
Kazi  in  prayer  and  devotion ;  and  nearly  a  whole 
year  had  elapsed,  without  the  breeze  of  a  single 
profane  glance  having  blown  on  the  vernal  abode 
of  her  face,  and  without  her  having  ever  heard  the 
bird  of  a  voice  in  the  foliage  of  her  ears,  till  one 
day  the  Kazi  unexpectedly  made  his  appearance  and 
looked  at  her,  when  he  perceived  the  Layla-like  beauty 
sitting  within  the  black  mansion  of  her  musky  ringlets, 
and  her  sweet  tenderness  mounted  upon  the  face  of 
attractiveness  and  melancholy,  the  Majniin  of  the 
Kazi's  intellect  became  troubled,  and,  Ferhad-like,  he 
began  to  dig  the  Bistan  of  his  soul,  which  was  melting 
and  burning  in  the  censer  of  distraction.  He  was 
desirous  of  making  an  attack  upon  her  virtue,  but, 
being  aware  of  her  pure  nature  and  chastity,  durst 
not  attempt  it.  One  day,  however,  when  his  wife 
went  to  the  public  bath  and  had  left  the  lady  alone  to 


THE   KAZI  AND   MERCHANT'S    WIFE.       417 

take  care  of  the  house,  he  was  so  completely  dominated 
by  his  unlawful  passion  that  he  threw  skyward  the 
turban  of  concupiscence  and  exclaimed  : 

"  The  desired  game  for  which  I  looked  in  the  skies 

Has  now  on  earth  fallen  into  the  net  of  my  good  fortune." 

He  locked  the  door,  and  commenced  his  stratagem  by 
complimenting  her  modesty,  and  continued  to  address 
her  in  the  following  strain :  "  Virtuous  lady,  the 
reputation  of  my  honesty  and  piety  has  spread  through 
the  world  and  penetrated  all  corners.  Even  the 
charms  of  the  hiiris  of  Paradise  could  not  seduce  my 
righteous  disposition  from  the  road  of  firm  determin- 
ation, or  impel  me  to  transgress  the  laws  of  purity; 
then  why  do  you  avoid  me  so  much  ?  If  the  absence 
of  intelligence  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  true  state 
of  things  keep  your  face  veiled  with  the  curtain  of 
bashfulness,  my  obedience  to  the  laws  of  God  and 
my  fear  of  eternal  punishment  at  the  day  of  resurrec- 
tion prohibit  me  from  allowing  the  fire  of  sensuality  to 
be  kindled  within  me.  I  would  not  disturb  your  peace, 
even  with  a  single  glance  of  my  eye.  Be  of  good 
cheer,  therefore,  and  throw  aside  the  veil  of  apprehen- 
sion from  your  face,  for  there  is  no  danger  of  sinning ; 
and  although  it  is  against  the  law  of  God  and  the 
Prophet  to  exact  services  from  guests,  yet  as  you 
belong  to  the  house  and  I  am  dependent  on  your 
kindness,  I  would  request  you  to  procure  me  some 
food,  for  I  am  hungry." 

Drawing  the  prohibitory  veil  of  bashfulness  over 


4i8  PERSIAN  STORIES, 

her  face,  the  lady  waited  upon  the  Kazi  with  all  due 
modesty,  and  having  placed  food  before  him  she 
retired  into  a  corner.  Now  the  Kazi  had  provided 
himself  with  a  drug  which  deprives  of  all  sense  any 
one  who  partakes  of  it,  and  he  said  to  the  lady  :  "  You 
know  that  three  kinds  of  persons  will  be  rejected  from 
the  mercy  of  God  on  the  day  of  the  resurrection  and 
subjected  to  endless  tortures :  he  who  eats  alone,  he 
who  sleeps  alone,  and  he  who  travels  alone ;  and  till 
now  it  has  never  happened  to  me  that  I  did  any  of 
these  three  things.  As  I  am  now  eating  alone,  and 
one  who  does  this  has  Satan  for  his  companion,  and 
his  faith  is  endangered,  why  should  you  not,  in  order 
to  free  me  from  the  snares  of  the  Devil,  defile  your 
hands  by  partaking  of  this  meal?"  He  ceased  not 
thus  to  press  the  lady  till  she  at  length  sat  down 
near  the  table  and  helped  herself  to  some  food,  into 
which  the  Kazi  unobserved  threw  some  of  the  drug. 
After  she  had  eaten  a  few  morsels  she  felt  faint, 
and  on  attempting  to  rise  from  the  table  her  feet 
refused  to  bear  her  and  she  fell  senseless  on  the 
floor. 

The  Kazi  quickly  gathered  up  the  articles  that  were 
on  the  table  and  purposed  worse  things,  when  he 
heard  noises  outside,  which  greatly  disturbed  him,  and 
he  was  perplexed  where  to  conceal  the  unconscious 
lady,  so  that  nobody  might  discover  the  matter. 
He  thought  of  the  vault  where  he  kept  his  money  and 
valuables,  which  was  known  only  to  himself,  and  into 


THE  KAZI  AND   MERCHANTS    WIFE.       419 

it  he  thrust  the  lady,  and  then  went  out  and  found 
that  his  family  had  returned  from  the  bath. 

The  Kazi  asked  his  family  :  "  Why  did  you  leave 
the  house  empty?"  They  answered:  "We  left  the 
wife  of  the  merchant  to  take  care  of  the  place." 
Quoth  the  Kazi :  "  It  is  two  hours  since  I  came 
home,  and  I  have  seen  no  one;  why  do  you  trust 
a  stranger?  She  may  have  taken  away  something." 
They  were  all  astonished,  protested  that  she  was  not 
such  a  woman,  and  wondered  what  had  become  of 
her.  While  this  talk  was  going  on,  the  merchant, 
having  just  returned  from  his  journey  to  Hindustan, 
came  to  the  house  of  the  Kazi  to  inquire  for  his  wife. 
The  Kazi  said  :  "  It  is  some  time  since  your  wife  left 
my  house,  without  giving  notice  or  asking  permission." 
But  the  merchant  replied :  "  O  Kazi,  this  is  not  a 
time  for  jesting ;  give  me  back  my  wife."  The  Kazi 
swore  that  he  was  in  earnest.  But  the  merchant  said  : 
"  I  am  too  well  acquainted  with  the  nature  and 
disposition  of  my  wife  to  believe  her  capable  of  such 
conduct.  There  must  be  something  more  in  this 
affair  than  appears."  At  this  the  Kazi  affected  to  be 
wroth,  and  said  :  "  It  is  I  who  ought  to  be  offended, 
you  foolish  man.  Why  do  you  talk  nonsense  and 
needlessly  insult  us?      Go  and  look  for  your  wife!" 

As  the  merchant  was  devotedly  attached  to  his  wife, 
and  the  smoke  of  distress  was  beginning  to  ascend 
from  the  oven  of  his  brain,  he  tore  the  collar  of 
patience  and  hastened  to  make  his  complaint  to  the 


420  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

sultan,   and,  prostrating  himself  upon  the  carpet  of 
supplication,  he  recited  these  verses  : 

"  O  exalted  and  happy  monarch, 

May  fehcity  be  the  servant  of  your  palace  ! 
The  Kazi  of  the  city  has  done  me  injustice 
Greater  than  the  blast  of  the  tornado  of  the  west. 
If  it  be  permitted,  I  will  explain 
The  injustice  of  that  mean-spirited  wretch." 

The  sultan  replied :  "  Set  forth  your  complaint, 
that  I  may  become  acquainted  with  it."  Then  the 
merchant  spoke  as  follows :  "I  am  a  native  of 
Aderbaijan,  and  the  fame  of  the  justice  and  pro- 
tection which  the  poor  obtain  at  the  hands  of  your 
majesty  induced  me  to  settle  in  this  country,  and 
I  have  dwelt  for  some  years  imder  the  shadow  of  the 
sultan's  protection.  I  had  a  beautiful  and  modest 
wife,  and,  purposing  to  travel  to  Hindiistan,  I  com- 
mitted her  a  year  ago  to  the  charge  of  the  Kazi. 
Now  I  have  returned  from  my  journey,  the  Kazi,  led 
away  by  covetousness,  refuses  to  give  up  to  me  my 
wife."  The  sultan  ordered  the  Kazi  to  be  brought 
before  him.  When  he  appeared,  the  sultan  asked 
him  what  he  had  to  say  regarding  the  complaint 
which  the  merchant  made  against  him.  Said  the 
Kazi :  "  May  the  torch  of  your  majesty's  welfare  be 
luminous  and  the  castle  of  opposition  ruinous  !  This 
man  entrusted  his  wife  to  me,  and  it  is  nearly  three 
months  since  she  ([uittcd  my  hotise  without  giving 
notice,  and  ui)  to  this  time  slic  has  not  come  back. 


THE  KAZI  AND  MERCHANTS    WIFE.       421 

and  we  have  failed  to  discover  any  trace  of  her."  To 
this  the  merchant  responded  :  "  Such  conduct  is  in- 
consistent with  the  character  of  my  wife,  and  I  do  not 
beUeve  it."  The  sultan  asked:  "Where  are  the 
witnesses  ? "  The  Kazi  said  that  several  neighbours 
and  householders  were  acquainted  with  the  fact,  and 
wrote  down  the  names  of  a  number  of  rascals  whom 
he  had  bribed  to  give  evidence  in  his  favour.  At  a 
sign  from  the  sultan  to  the  chamberlain  they  were 
brought  in  and  confirmed  the  assertion  of  the  Kazi, 
upon  which  the  sultan  said  to  the  merchant :  "As  the 
Kazi  has  established  his  statement  by  witnesses,  your 
complaint  falls  to  the  ground,"  and  the  merchant 
retired  disappointed. 

Now  the  sultan  was  in  the  habit  of  walking  about 
the  bazars  and  streets  of  the  city  occasionally  in  dis- 
guise, mixing  among  the  people,  in  order  to  discover 
what  they  thought  of  him.  That  night  he  left  his 
palace  according  to  his  wont,  and  as  he  walked  about 
he  chanced  to  pass  near  the  door  of  a  shop  where 
a  party  of  boys  were  playing  at  the  game  of  "The 
King  and  his  Vazi'r."  One  of  the  boys  was  made 
king,  and  said  to  the  others:  "As  I  am  king,  you 
are  all  under  my  authority,  and  you  must  not  seek  to 
evade  my  commands."  Another  boy  said  :  "  If  you 
give  unjust  decisions  like  Sultan  Mahmud,  we  shall 
soon  depose  you."  The  boy-king  asked :  "  What  in- 
justice has  Sultan  Mahmud  done?"  The  other  boy 
answered:  "To-day  the  affair  of  the  merchant  came 


422  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

before  the  sultan.  This  merchant  had  confided  his 
wife  to  the  keeping  of  the  Kazi,  and  he  hid  her  in  his 
own  house.  The  sultan  called  for  witnesses,  and  the 
Kazi  gained  the  case  by  producing  in  court  witnesses 
whom  he  had  previously  bribed.  It  is  a  great  pity 
that  people  should  have  the  administration  of  justice 
in  their  hands  who  are  unable  to  distinguish  between 
right  and  wrong.  Had  I  been  in  the  place  of  the 
sultan  I  should  very  soon  have  discovered  the  truth 
or  falsehood  of  the  Kazi's  witnesses." 

When  the  sultan  had  heard  the  conversation  of  these 
boys  he  sighed,  and  returned  to  his  palace  in  great 
agitation  of  mind ;  and  next  morning  as  soon  as  it 
was  daylight  he  sent  a  servant  to  fetch  the  boy  who 
had  criticised  his  judgment  of  the  merchant's  case. 
The  boy  was  brought,  and  the  sultan  received  him  in 
a  very  friendly  manner,  saying:  "This  day  you  shall 
be  my  lieutenant  from  morning  till  evening,  and  I 
intend  to  allow  you  to  sit  in  judgment  and  to  act 
entirely  according  to  your  own  will."  Then  the  sultan 
whispered  to  the  chamberlain  to  invite  the  merchant 
to  repeat  his  complaint  against  the  Kazi,  and  the 
merchant,  having  been  brought  into  court,  did  so. 
The  Kazi  and  his  witnesses  were  next  summoned,  and 
when  the  Kazi  was  about  to  seat  himself  the  boy  said : 
"  Ho,  Master  Kazi,  the  leading-strings  of  justice  and 
the  power  of  tying  and  untying  knotty  points  of  law 
have  been  long  in  your  hands — how  then  do  you 
seem  to  be  so  ignorant  of  le^al  customs  ?     You  have 


THE  KAZI  AND  MERCHANTS    WIFE.       423 

been  brought  into  this  court  as  a  party  in  a  law  suit, 
and  not  as  an  assessor.  It  is  the  rule  that  you  should 
stand  below,  on  an  equality  with  your  accuser,  till  the 
court  breaks  up,  and  then  you  should  obey  whatever 
its  decision  may  be."  Then  the  Kazi  went  and  stood 
near  the  merchant,  and  again  asserted  that  the  woman 
had  left  his  house  three  months  ago.  The  boy  asked : 
"Have  you  any  witnesses?"  The  Kazi  pointed  to 
his  followers,  saying  :  "  These  are  the  witnesses." 
The  boy  called  one  of  them  to  him,  and  asked  him 
in  a  subdued  voice  whether  he  had  seen  the  woman. 
He  said:  "Yes."  Then  he  asked  what  signs  there 
were  on  her  person,  stature,  or  face.  The  man  be- 
came embarrassed  and  said  :  "  She  had  a  mole  on  her 
forehead  ;  one  of  her  teeth  is  wanting ;  she  is  of  fresh 
complexion ;  tall  and  slender."  The  boy  asked  : 
"  What  hour  of  the  day  was  it  when  she  went  away 
from  the  Kazi's  house?"  The  man  replied:  "Morning." 
"  Remain  in  this  place,"  said  the  boy.  Then  he  called 
another  witness,  who  thus  described  the  woman:  "She 
is  of  low  stature  and  is  lean ;  her  cheeks  are  white 
and  red ;  she  has  a  mole  near  her"  mouth  ;  she  left 
the  house  in  the  afternoon."  Having  placed  this  man 
in  another  corner,  the  boy  called  for  a  third  witness, 
whose  evidence  contradicted  both  the  others ;  and 
gradually  he  examined  them  all  and  found  they  dis- 
agreed from  each  other  in  everything.  The  sultan 
was  sitting  by  the  side  of  the  boy  and  heard  all ;  and 
when  the  hearing  of  the  witnesses  was  ended  the  boy 


424  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

said  :  "  You  God-forgetting  wretches,  why  do  you  give 
false  evidence  ?  Let  the  instruments  of  torture  be 
brought  that  we  may  find  out  the  truth."  As  soon 
as  they  heard  the  word  torture  they  all  offered  to  say 
the  truth,  and  confessed  themselves  to  be  a  set  of 
poor  fellows  whom  the  Kazi  had  bribed  with  a  sum 
of  money  and  instructed  what  to  say,  and  that  they 
knew  nothing  whatever  about  the  woman.  Then 
the  boy  called  the  Kazi,  and  asked  him  what  he  had 
to  say  in  this  business.  The  Kazi  commenced  to 
tremble  and  said:  "The  truth  is  as  I  have  stated." 
The  boy  said  :  "  Our  Kazi  is  a  bold  man,  and  his 
haughtiness  hinders  him  from  confessing  the  truth  : 
the  instruments  of  torture  ought  to  be  employed." 
When  the  Kazi  heard  this,  the  fear  of  torture  greatly 
distressed  him,  and  he  confessed  the  truth.  On  this 
the  boy  kissed  the  floor  of  good  manners  with  the  lips 
of  obedience  and  said:  "The  rest  of  this  affair  is  to 
be  settled  by  the  sultan."  The  sultan  was  much 
pleased  with  the  acuteness  and  intelligence  of  the 
boy,  and  ordered  the  Kazi  to  be  beheaded  and  all 
his  property  to  be  given  to  the  merchant's  wife.  The 
boy  was  treated  kindly  and  educated,  until  by  degrees 
he  won  the  entire  confidence  of  the  sultan  and  be- 
came one  of  his  greatest  favourites. 


THE  INDEPENDENT  MAN.  425 


THE   INDEPENDENT   MAN   AND   HIS 
TRAVELLING   COMPANIONS. 

HISTORIANS  relate  that  there  were  two  men  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Kabul  sitting  in  the  corner 
of  poverty,  fettered  with  the  chains  of  hardships  and 
difficulties.  The  thunderstorms  and  disturbance  of 
the  whirlpools  of  the  sphere's  revolution  had  over- 
turned the  boat  of  their  possessions,  and  it  had 
become  the  prey  of  the  whale  of  destruction.  They 
were  screwed  in  the  press  of  poverty  and  destitution, 
like  flower-beds  from  which  the  oil  is  to  be  squeezed 
out,  and  the  pain  and  suffering  of  distress  caused  them 
to  change  colour  at  each  moment  like  a  chameleon 
till  each  day  was  changed  into  evening.  Although 
they  hastened  with  the  foot  of  labour  and  diligence 
in  the  performance  of  their  occupations,  they  could 
never  reach  the  desired  mansion  of  their  object  on 
account  of  their  unpropitious  fortune  and  their  con- 
stant mishaps.  The  blackness  of  their  morning 
tinctured  the  night  even  of  the  poor  with  the  re- 
flection of  grief,  and  the  mirror  of  their  evening 
imparted  new  sorrow  to  orphans. 

One  day  they  said  to  each  other :  "  In  this  country 
the  gates  of  peace  are  shut  upon  us,  and  it  is  a 
maxim  of  the  wise  that  if  people  meet  with  difficulties 
in  their  own  country  they  ought  to  remove  to  another. 
As  the  liberal  Sultan  Mahmiid  is  now  reigning,  we 


426  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

must  go  to  Ghazni  and  do  our  best  to  see  him,  when 
perhaps  the  aroma  of  his  generosity  will  perfume  the 
nostrils  of  our  intention,  and  our  dilapidated  circum- 
stances will  be  altered."  So  they  set  out  for  Ghazni, 
and  on  the  road  they  were  joined  by  a  man,  the 
rose-bush  of  whose  disposition  was  always  kept  fresh 
by  the  dew  of  piety,  and  who  passed  his  life  in  con- 
tentment, like  one  of  the  blest.  He  asked  them :  ' 
"  My  brothers,  the  shoe  of  what  desire  have  you  put 
on  the  foot  of  your  intention  ?  And  towards  the  castle 
of  what  pretension  have  you  turned  the  face  of  your 
inclination?"  They  answered:  "Since  the  lamp  of 
each  of  us  has  been  extinguished  by  the  wind  of  mis- 
fortune, and  the  thorn  of  hardships  has  pierced  the 
feet  of  our  hearts,  and  as  we  could  not  find  the  plaster 
in  Kabul  by  which  the  wound  of  our  untoward  con- 
dition might  be  healed ;  and  hearing  that  the  gates 
of  the  generosity  and  liberality  of  Sultan  Mahmiid 
the  Ghaznivide  have  been  opened  to  the  rich  and 
poor,  and  that  the  banquet  of  his  unbounded  gracious- 
ness  is  always  spread  for  the  relief  of  the  poor,  we 
hope  to  re-light  the  lamp  of  our  circumstances  at 
the  blaze  of  his  regard."  Those  two  men  of  Kabul 
also  asked  the  young  man  about  his  intention,  and 
he  replied :  "  Having  no  possessions  in  my  own 
country,  and  the  day  of  my  well-being  having  reached 
the  evening,  I  am  in  pursuit  of  a  lawful  means  of 
support,  but  I  do  not  expect  aught  from  Sultan 
Mahmiid  or  persons  like  him.     I  desire  grace  and 


THE  INDEPENDENT  MAN.  427 


favour  of  a  Sultan,  the  door  of  the  treasury  of  whose 
gifts  is  besieged  by  a  hundred  thousand  men  as  in- 
digent as  Sultan  Mahmiid,  who  are  contemplating 
with  the  eye  of  hope  the  storehouse  of  his  infinite 
grace  and  bounty."  In  short,  the  three  travellers 
pursued  their  journey  in  company  till  they  arrived 
in  Ghazni,  where  they  took  up  their  lodging  in  a 
ruined  building. 

One  night  all  three  of  them  were  sitting  together  in 
the  ruin,  conversing  on  various  subjects.  It  happened 
that  Sultan  Mahmiid,  accompanied  by  two  of  his 
intimates,  had  left  the  palace  to  walk  about  in  the 
moonlight.  They  passed  through  several  streets  and 
lanes  till  they  came  near  the  ruin,  and,  attracted  by  the 
voices,  they  discovered  the  travellers  and  asked  them 
who  they  were.  The  two  men  of  Kabul  replied  :  "We 
are  benumbed  by  the  crapula  of  the  wine  of  helpless- 
ness and  distress  ;  we  are  veiled  by  the  curtain  of 
misery ;  we  are  riding  the  horse  of  poverty,  and  are 
roaming  through  the  ups  and  downs  of  this  world  ; 
and  now  our  fate  has  guided  us  to  this  place,  and  we 
shall  see  how  our  affairs  terminate."  The  sultan 
asked:  "What  are  your  wishes?"  They  answered: 
"  If  we  tell  them,  they  will  never  be  accomplished ; 
so  there  is  no  use  in  relating  them."  Quoth  the 
sultan  :  "  Since  the  inhabitants  of  this  world  are 
bound  to  aid  each  other,  it  is  your  duty  to  inform  me 
of  your  desires,  in  order  that  the  complicated  knot  of 
that  affair  may  be  disentangled  by  the  help  of  some 


428  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

one's  nail."  One  of  them  replied  :  "I  was  one  of  the 
rich  and  the  prosperous,  and  possessed  great  wealth. 
This  world,  which  is  inconstant  like  the  hues  of  the 
chameleon,  has  ceased  to  be  propitious  to  me ;  and 
the  shame  of  poverty  and  the  disgrace  of  my  family 
have  induced  me  to  quit  my  country.  If  I  were 
possessed  of  ten  thousand  dinars,  I  should  consider 
the  sum  as  a  capital  which  might  enable  me  to  raise 
my  head  again  and  return  to  my  country."  The  other 
said  :  "  I  had  a  wife  sitting  veiled  in  the  haram  of 
compliance :  the  loveliness  of  the  sun  of  her  features 
surpassed  the  rose  in  beauty,  and  the  moon  was 
lessened  in  splendour  by  the  rays  of  her  cheeks.  I 
loved  her  much,  and  could  not  live  one  moment 
without  her.  She  died,  and  the  fire  of  grief  has  burnt 
my  liver,  and  thrown  me  into  the  most  unhappy 
condition.  Should  his  highness  the  sultan  present  me 
with  a  member  of  his  haram,  so  that  by  the  sun  of  her 
presence  the  mansion  of  my  joy  and  happiness  might 
become  again  illumined,  I  would  gladly  return  to  my 
country."  The  third  companion  remained  silent,  and 
the  sultan  turning  to  him  asked  :  "  Do  you  not  wish 
for  anything?"  He  answered:  "I  have  to  do  with 
God.  I  need  neither  a  wife  nor  gold.  I  turn  my  face 
towards  the  vivifying  treasury  of  God's  mercy,  by 
whom  desires  are  granted,  who  knows  the  innermost 
recesses  of  our  hearts,  and  what  every  one  deserves : 
my  wishes  are  all  regulated  by  his  good  pleasure. 
If  you  are  in  the  enjoyment  of  God's  favour  and  are 


THE  INDEPENDENT  MAN.  429 

able  from  him  to  obtain  your  desires,  pray  to  him 
for  my  sake  that  he  may  grant  me  the  grace  that 
I  should  not  once  draw  my  breath  contrary  to  his 
goodwill."  The  sultan  said  nothing,  but  arose  and 
departed. 

^^'hen  the  chamberlain  of  Destiny  had  opened  the 
gates  of  life  upon  the  inhabited  earth,  and  the  world- 
illuming  king,  the  sun,  had  seated  himself  in  the 
azure  tent  of  the  upper  sky,  the  sultan  ordered  the 
three  strangers  that  were  in  the  ruin  to  be  brought 
into  his  presence.  When  they  perceived  the  sultan, 
they  knew  him  to  be  the  same  man  who  had  been 
with  them  the  preceding  night,  and  they  were  under 
the  apprehension  that  he  would  be  angry  with  them. 
The  sultan  called  them  forward,  and  inquired  of  each 
of  them  his  wants,  and  the  two  men  of  Kabul  repeated 
what  they  had  said  on  the  previous  evening.  When 
the  third  stranger's  turn  came  he  said  : 

"  Bitter  indeed  to  our  lips  is  the  colocynth  of  mendicancy  ; 
We  have  tasted  the  sweets  of  liberality  from  the  hands  of  the 
noble-minded. 

O  thou  illuminated  speculum  of  potentates,  as  long  as 
the  storehouse  of  the  works  of  God  is  full  of  blessings, 
may  the  treasury  of  thy  desires  also  remain  plentifully 
provided  with  the  exhilarating  gold,  silver,  and  jewels 
of  prosperity  !  Although  people  in  general  may  be 
rejoicing  with  the  delicacies  of  the  table  of  thy  bounty, 
and  thyself  mayest  thereby  taste  the  sweets  of  good 
deeds,   still   those   that    sit    in  the  tent    of  exquisite 


430  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

feelings  have  so  much  refreshed  their  palates  with  the 
honey  of  contentment  that  they  would  by  no  means 
defile  their  lips  with  a  single  mouthful  which  belongs 
to  others. 
The  palate  of  the  contented  has  never  been  sweetened  by  the 

liberal  ; 
The  delights  of  independence  are  far  above  the  delights  which 

•liberality  can  bestow,  i 

My  hopes  and  expectations  are  dependent  on  the 
threshold  of  the  Eternal  King  :  he  will  grant  to  me  all 
that  he  thinks  fit,  without  my  fastening  myself  on  the 
skirts  of  petition  to  any  one  else,  or  jeopardising  the 
position  of  a  retiring  and  modest  individual." 

The  sultan  tried  much,  but  could  not  induce  the 
young  man  to  act  contrary  to  his  avowed  principles, 
and  to  open  his  lips  to  beg  for  some  favour.  He 
gave  orders  that  the  man  who  was  in  want  of  a  wife 
should  be  provided  with  one  of  his  own  damsels,  and 
presented  the  man  who  wanted  money  with  two  purses 
of  gold.  Then  he  said  :  "  Now,  all  three  of  you, 
return  to  your  own  countries."  In  obedience  to  this 
order  they  set  out  together  on  their  journey  to  Kabul. 
After  proceeding  about  two  parasangs,-  the  man  who 
obtained  the  gold  felt  tired  by  carrying  it,  so  he  handed 

1  It  is  seldom  such  a  sentiment  occurs  in  Eastern  books. 
Alms-giving  is  enjoined  by  the  Kuran  on  all  who  have  anything 
to  give,  and  the  rapacity  of  Asiatic  despots  has  not  been  con- 
ducive to  a  spirit  of  independence  among  their  subjects. 

2  A  parasang  is  a  Persian  measure  of  three  or  four  miles,  more 
or  less  in  different  countries. 


THE  INDEPENDENT  MAN.  431 

it  to  his  empty-handed  companion,  requesting  him  to 
carry  it  for  a  short  time  till  he  had  rested  himself. 

Now  the  chroniclers  relate  that  when  the  three 
men  left  the  presence  of  the  sultan,  he  turned  to  his 
courtiers  and  said :  "  That  independent  man  has  put 
me  greatly  to  shame.  He  left  me  as  if  I  were  in  the 
position  of  a  poor  man;  and  although  I  tried  much 
he  would  not  accept  of  anything."  One  of  the 
courtiers,  who  was  labouring  under  the  asthma  of 
covetousness,  and  as  the  covetous  are  the  natural 
enemies  of  the  contented,  thus  gave  expression  to  his 
innate  feelings :  "The  sultans  and  kings  of  this  world 
are  the  collectors  of  the  treasury  of  God  ;  and,  accord- 
ing to  the  requirements  of  the  order  of  mundane 
affairs,  he  grants  drafts  or  letters  of  credit  to  the  poor 
for  the  alleviation  of  their  wants,  which  drafts  the  rich 
are  bound  to  accept  and  honour.  Whoever  refuses  to 
apply  to  kings  for  help  scorns  their  favour,  and  in  this 
manner  acts  contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  on  account 
of  his  pride  and  independence.  Such  a  man  is  certainly 
deserving  of  death,  and  ought  to  be  so  punished." 
The  sultan  became  excited,  and  ordered  one  of  his 
chamberlains  to  proceed  on  the  same  road  which  the 
three  men  had  taken,  and,  leaving  undisturbed  the 
man  who  had  the  gold  and  him  who  had  the  girl, 
to  kill  the  third  person  who  was  empty-handed,  and 
bring  his  head.  It  so  happened,  however,  that  when 
the  messenger  of  the  sultan  overtook  them,  the  inde- 
pendent man  carried  the  gold  upon  his  back,  and  the 


432  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

possessor  of  the  gold  was  empty-handed.  The  cham- 
berlain made  no  inquiry,  but  cut  off  the  head  of  the 
proprietor  of  the  gold  and  returned  with  it  to  the 
sultan.  When  the  sultan  had  looked  well  at  the  head 
he  exclaimed:  "You  are  a  thoughtless  fellow,  and 
have  made  a  mistake."  He  despatched  forthwith 
another  chamberlain,  and  enjoined  him  to  decapitate 
that  man  who  was  without  any  burden  whatever.  But 
now  it  fortuned  that  the  possessor  of  the  girl  had 
entrusted  her  for  a  time  to  the  independent  man,  and 
fallen  a  little  behind.  When  the  messenger  came  up, 
he  perceived  the  owner  of  the  girl  following  empty- 
handed  in  the  wake  of  the  independent  man,  and 
immediately  cut  off  his  head,  and  on  presenting  it  to 
his  master,  the  sultan,  after  looking  at  it,  cried  in 
astonishment :  "  This  man  has  also  been  killed  by 
mistake  ! " 

The  sultan  reflected  for  a  while,  and  when  he 
became  calm,  perceived  that  the  grace  of  God  had 
been  a  bulwark  of  protection  to  that  independent 
man,  which  had  prevented  him  from  coming  to  any 
harm.  He  summoned  another  attendant,  and  com- 
manded him  to  pursue  the  same  road,  and  bring  into 
his  presence  the  man  who  possessed  both  the  gold 
and  the  girl,  which  he  did  accordingly.  As  soon  as 
the  sultan  beheld  the  man,  he  smiled,  and  said : 
"What  has  become  of  your  companions?"  He 
answered  :  "  May  the  life  of  the  sultan  be  everlasting, 
and  may  the  compliant  hand  of  the  sweetheart  Pro- 


THE  INDEPENDENT  MAN.  433 

sperity  be  always  round  his  neck  !  He  who  presented 
them  with  the  gold  and  the  maid  has  in  return  taken 
their  lives  ;  and  indeed  whoever  prefers  the  creature  to 
the  Creator  turns  away  his  face  from  the  threshold 
of  real  felicity,  has  no  refuge  whither  he  might  flee, 
will  be  trampled  under  the  feet  of  distressing  events, 
and  will  not  pluck  a  single  flower  from  the  rose-garden 
of  his  desires. 

Whoever  averts  his  face  from  his  portals 

Will  meet  with  no  regard,  to  whatever  door  he  turns." 

These  observations  of  the  man  aroused  the  sultan 
from  the  sleep  of  indolence,  and  made  him  aware  that 
this  person  had  tasted  the  sweets  of  benefits  from 
the  spread-table  of  the  love  and  knowledge  of  God ; 
and  he  said  to  him  :  "  Thou  ornament  of  the  society 
of  obedience  to  the  laws  of  God  !  I  am  very  anxious 
to  bestow  something  upon  you,  that  I  may  become 
infinitely  your  debtor.  I  adjure  you,  by  God,  to  ask 
something  of  me."  That  happy  man  thus  answered  : 
"  I  have  two  wishes.  The  first  is,  that  you  send  a 
very  considerable  sum  of  money  to  Kabul,  to  recom- 
pense the  heirs  of  the  two  men  w'ho  have  been  slain 
without  any  guilt  of  their  own ;  and  the  second  is, 
that  I  may  be  allowed  to  enjoy  the  lease  of  a  small 
dwelling,  in  which  I  may  carry  on  the  trade  of  a 
weaver,  and  thus  earn  an  honest  livelihood."  The 
sultan  stroked  the  face  of  agreement  with  the  finger  of 
beneficence,  and  said  :  "  You  flower-gatherer  in  the 
gardens  of  beneficence  !     I  have  also  three  requests  to 

2  F 


434  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

make  of  you,  with  which  I  trust  your  kindness  will 
comply.  The  first  is,  that,  should  you  entertain  any 
ill-feeling  towards  me,  I  beg  you  to  forget  it ;  the 
second  is,  that  you  pray  to  God  that  he  may  blot 
out  my  sins  from  the  book  of  my  actions  with  refer- 
ence to  those  two  innocent  men  ;  and  the  third  is, 
that  you  come  to  me  every  Friday  evening,  so  that 
I  may  profit  by  my  intercourse  with  you."  The  man 
agreed  to  all  this,  and  applied  himself  diligently  to  his 
business,  till  his  singleness  of  purpose  placed  him 
in  possession  of  the  key  to  prosperity  and  wealth ;  and 
the  gates  of  well-being  having  become  open  in  corre- 
spondence with  his  expectation,  he  was  enabled  to 
advance  money  to  the  royal  treasury  whenever  it  was 
required,  to  redeem  many  people  from  the  penalty  of 
death,  and  to  do  much  good  to  worthy  and  poor 
people. 


THE    KING  WHO    LEARNED   A   TRADE. 

THERE  was,  in  days  long  past  and  in  the  country 
of  Aderbaijan,  a  king  who  administered  justice 
and  cherished  wisdom  ;  the  tiller  of  his  equity-loving 
nature  kept  the  garden  of  his  kingdom  always  free  of 
the  chaff  and  rubbish  of  oppression,  and  preserved, 
with  the  light  of  the  torch  of  high-mindedness  and 
gifts,  the  surface  of  the  breasts  of  those  who  hoped 


THE  KING    WHO   LEARNED  A    TRADE.      435 

and  solicited  from  the  darkness  of  hardship  and  desti- 
tution. By  means  of  his  discernment  he  became 
acquainted  with  the  worth  and  station  due  to  men 
of  skill,  and  always  honoured  the  high  polish  of  the 
speculum  of  accomplishments  and  perfections  with 
the  throne  of  dignity  and  the  place  of  respect.  One 
day,  while  he  was  seated  in  the  palace  of  pomp  and 
splendour,  dispensing  justice  and  retribution,  and  en- 
gaged in  diving  into  the  depths  of  the  circumstances 
of  the  people,  two  men  took  hold  of  the  collar  of 
complaint  before  him,  one  of  whom  had  no  trade, 
while  the  other  was  skilful  and  accomplished ;  and, 
although  the  former  brought  forward  arguments  and 
evidence  in  support  of  his  claim,  and  it  became  clear 
that  he  was  in  the  right,  the  king  purposely  turned 
the  scales  in  favour  of  the  clever  man,  and  ordered 
him  that  was  without  a  trade  to  be  punished. 

The  king  had  a  vazi'r  equal  to  Plato  in  science,  who 
always  drew  upon  the  book  of  circumstances  with  the 
pen  of  propriety  of  opinion  and  prudence  of  arrange- 
ment. Wondering  at  the  decision  of  the  king,  he  rose 
from  his  place  and  said :  "  O  thou  leader  of  the  cara- 
van of  prosperity  of  realms,  by  the  strokes  of  whose 
world-conquering  scimitar  the  peace  of  the  breasts  of 
opponents  is  destroyed,  and  from  the  fruits  of  whose 
convoy  of  success  the  countries  of  the  hearts  of  the 
amicable  are  made  populous  and  flourishing  !  I  have 
a  request  to  make :  first,  that  the  skyward-flying  humai 
of  your  gracious  disposition  may  pervade  the  atmo- 


436  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

sphere  of  compliance  with  my  solicitation."  The 
king  said  :  "Explain."  x\nd  the  vazir  continued  :  "I 
pray  that  the  life  of  this  innocent  youth,  whose  guilt- 
lessness must  be  visible  upon  the  mirror  of  your 
majesty's  mind,  may  be  spared  for  my  sake ;  and  that 
it  might  be  disclosed  to  me  why  your  majesty  par- 
doned the  guilty  one  and  condemned  the  innocent." 
The  king  replied  :  "I  have  absolved  him  whom  you 
called  guilty  because  I  have  arrived  at  the  certainty 
that  he  is  unblameable  and  has  the  right  on  his  side. 
But  I  do  not  consider  this  the  proper  time  to  explain 
the  matter,  which,  however,  will  be  done  as  soon  as 
we  are  alone." 

When  the  tree  of  the  assembly  had  shed  the  leaves 
and  fruits  of  its  multitude  and  the  lamp  of  the  apart- 
ment of  privacy  was  trimmed  and  made  bright,  the 
king  spake  thus  to  his  vazir  : 

"Thou  quintessence  of  acuteness,  something  hap- 
pened to  me  once  which  plunged  me  into  the  sea 
of  astonishment.  From  that  time  I  made  a  vow  to 
show  favour  to  a  man  who  has  a  profession,  even 
should  he  be  blameworthy  otherwise,  and  to  punish 
him  who  has  no  trade  or  occupation,  even  though  he 
should  be  my  own  son ;  so  that  the  high  and  the 
low,  seeing  this,  should  be  induced  to  have  their 
children  taught  trades  in  due  conformity  with  their 
circumstances. 

"  Know,  then,  that  when  my  father  was  yet  walking 
in  the  garden  of  life,  and  was  sitting  upon  the  throne 


THE  KING    WHO  LEARNED  A    TRADE.      437 

of  happiness  and  government,  on  a  certain  day  those 
who  were  present  at  the  audience  were  discussing 
the  advantages  of  trades  and  accompHshments ;  and, 
although  I  had  made  myself  acquainted  with  several 
sciences  and  accomplishments  befitting  a  royal  prince, 
I  was  desirous  of  learning  some  useful  craft.  I  there- 
fore caused  each  one  of  the  tradesmen  of  the  city  to 
exhibit  his  skill  before  me,  in  order  that  I  might  apply 
myself  to  the  craft  which  I  should  prefer.  After 
having  seen  them  all,  none  pleased  me  so  much  as 
mat-making,  because  the  master  of  that  art  had  intro- 
duced into  the  specimen  which  he  wrought  all  sorts 
of  pretty  figures.  The  instructor  was  engaged,  and 
I  was  taught  until  I  became  skilful  in  this  business. 
One  day  I  happened  to  entertain  a  desire  to  make 
a  pleasure  excursion  on  the  sea,  and,  having  taken 
leave  of  the  king,  embarked  in  a  boat  with  a  number 
of  companions.  We  amused  ourselves  for  two  days 
with  fishing,  but,  as  all  mortals  are  subject  to  the 
vicissitudes  of  Fortune,  on  the  third  day  a  dreadful 
storm  arose,  the  sea  was  lashed  into  furious  waves, 
our  boat  went  to  pieces,  and  my  attendants  became 
food  for  the  palate  of  the  whale  of  destiny.  I  floated 
about  on  a  broken  plank  with  two  of  my  associates 
for  several  days,  drifting  like  chaff  in  the  ebb  and 
flow  of  the  abyss,  and  having  our  throats  choked 
every  moment  by  the  gripe  of  mortal  fear.  We 
humbled  ourselves  at  the  footstool  of  the  Answerer 
of  prayer,  because  no  one  ever  besought  him  in  vain ; 


438  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

and  by  his  favour  the  wind  drove  the  broken  plank 
towards  the  shore,  and  all  three  of  us,  having  landed 
in  safety,  made  our  way  to  an  oasis  in  which  were 
various  fruits  and  aromatic  plants,  numerous  beyond 
conception.  We  travelled  through  this  oasis,  resting 
during  the  night  on  trees,  for  fear  of  wild  beasts,  and 
at  length  reached  the  city  of  Baghdad.  I  possessed 
several  rings  of  great  value,  and  went  to  the  bazar, 
accompanied  by  my  friends,  in  order  to  procure  food. 
Having  sold  a  ring,  we  entered  the  shop  of  a  cook, 
who  displayed  a  great  variety  of  dishes,  and  in  whose 
service  a  handsome  boy  was  busying  himself  We 
handed  the  master  of  the  shop  a  few  dirhams  desiring 
him  to  furnish  us  with  some  food.  He  cast  a  glance 
at  us  and  said  :  '  Young  men,  nobility  and  greatness 
shine  from  your  foreheads.  In  this  city  it  is  con- 
sidered disgraceful  that  youths  like  yourselves  should 
be  eating  their  food  in  the  bazar.  There  is  a  hand- 
some room  in  the  neighbourhood  to  which  persons 
like  you  are  accustomed  to  resort :  do  me  the  favour 
to  proceed  thither,  and  I  will  supply  something  worthy 
of  you.'  He  sent  his  boy  with  us,  and  we  soon 
reached  the  house,  which  was  very  neat  and  taste- 
fully ornamented.  And  we  were  beginning  to  amuse 
ourselves  by  examining  the  beautiful  paintings  upon 
the  walls,  when  the  boy  said  :  '  I  am  going  to  fetch 
your  food.'  As  soon  as  he  was  gone  the  floor  of  the 
house  began  to  move  as  if  a  great  earthquake  had 
occurred,  and  we  were  all  precipitated  into  a  deep 


THE  KING    WHO  LEARNED  A    TRADE.      439 


well,  which  was  dark  like  the  graves  of  infidels'^  and 
black  as  their  hearts. 

"  Now  that  cook  was  a  Jew,  and  an  enemy  of  the 
Faith ;  and  it  was  his  practice  to  decoy  Muslims  into 
this  house,  and,  having  thus  entrapped  them  and  put 
them  to  death,  to  roast  their  flesh  and  sell  it  to  other 
Muslims.-  Our  necks  were  pledged  in  this  affair,  and 
we  were  in  expectation  of  what  turn  it  would  take 
when  the  same  youth  descended  into  the  well,  sword 
in  hand,  with  the  intention  of  murdering  us,  upon 
which  we  said  to  him  :  '  Friend,  what  advantage  will 
you  derive  by  killing  us  unhappy  wretches  ?  If  gain 
be  your  object,  we  know  the  trade  of  mat-making, 
which  is  very  profitable  in  this  city.  Bring  hither 
the  tools  and  materials  necessary  for  that  business, 
and  we  will  make  a  mat  every  day.'  The  youth 
hastened  to  inform  his  master  of  our  proposal,  and 

1  That  is  to  say,  all  who  are  outside  the  pale  of  Islam  ;  like 
Gentiles  with  the  Jews,  and  Barbarians  with  the  Greeks. 

'•^  A  most  absurd  idea,  and  a  foul  slander  on  the  "  chosen 
people" — not  to  say  that  all  are  to  be  considered  as  "  Israelites 
indeed,"  and  so  forth.  During  the  middle  ages  in  Europe  it 
was  generally  believed  that  the  Jews,  on  certain  of  their  reli- 
gious festivals,  stole  and  murdered  little  Christian  children  ! — 
See  the  Tale  of  the  Prioress  in  Chaucer's  Canterbury  Tales,  and 
in  Originals  and  Attalogites  (printed  for  the  Chaucer  Society,  pp. 
251,  257),  "The  Boy  killed  by  a  Jew  for  singing  '  Gaude  Maria!'" 
and  "The  Paris  Beggar-boy  murdered  by  a  Jew  for  singing 
'  Alma  redemptoris  mater !'"  Such  idle  stories  were  invented  and 
diligently  circulated  by  the  monks,  and  sore  persecution  had 
the   unfortunate  and   innocent  Jews  to  suffer  in  consequence ! 


440  PERSIAN  STOHIES. 

we  were  furnished  with  the  required  materials,  and 
began  at  once  to  make  mats,  receiving  each  day  a 
loaf  of  barley  bread.  After  being  in  this  condition 
for  some  time,  a  plan  occurred  to  me  through  which 
our  release  might  be  achieved.  I  finished  a  mat  with 
all  possible  care,  and  worked  into  the  borders  of  it  an 
account  of  my  circumstances  in  the  Arabic  language. 
This  was  during  the  reign  of  Hariin  er-Rashid,  and 
I  thought  that  if  this  mat  were  offered  to  the  khalif 
it  might  be  the  means  of  our  release.  The  greediness 
of  the  Jew  having  become  an  obstacle  to  his  circum- 
.spection  and  regard  of  consequences,  he  carried  the 
mat  to  the  palace  of  the  khalif,  who  highly  approved 
of  it ;  but  after  examining  it  more  minutely  he  dis- 
covered the  meaning  of  the  characters  in  the  borders, 
and  demanded  of  the  Jew  whose  work  it  was  and 
where  he  had  got  it.  He  answered  :  '  I  have  a  friend 
in  Basra  who  sent  it  to  me.'  The  khalif  said  :  'Wait 
a  little,  that  I  may  present  thee  with  a  reward  worthy 
of  it.'  Then  calling  a  servant  to  him  he  whispered 
something  in  his  ear,  upon  which  he  came  and  deli- 
vered us  from  the  well  and  conducted  us  into  the 
presence  of  Hariin.  When  the  Jew  saw  us  he  began  to 
tremble,  and  the  khalif  demanded  of  him  :  '  AVho  are 
these  men?'  The  Jew  struck  with  his  hand  the  ring 
of  the  door  of  negation,  and  replied  :  'I  do  not  know.' 
Then  the  instruments  of  torture  were  ordered  to  be 
brought,  and  when  the  Jew  heard  this  he  confessed 
everything.    The  khalif  commanded  the  J  ew  to  l)e  hung 


THE  KING    WHO  LEARNED  A    TRADE.      441 

upon  the  tree  of  punishment,  and  the  poison  of  perdi- 
tion to  be  poured  into  the  throat  of  his  existence. 

"  My  plan  was  highly  approved  of,  and  I  was  sent 
to  the  bath  and  presented  with  rich  clothes.  The 
khah'f  then  asked  me  about  my  adventures,  which  I 
related  to  him  from  beginning  to  end.  As  the  long 
service  of  my  father  had  laid  the  khalif  under  many 
obligations  to  him,  and  the  khah'f  knowing  well  that  I 
was  as  the  apple  of  my  father's  eye,  he  was  the  more 
kind  to  me,  and  said  :  '  Be  of  good  cheer.  Please 
God,  we  w'ill  help  you  to  return  to  your  own  country.' 
After  entertaining  me  for  several  days,  he  presented 
me  with  ten  strings  of  camels  and  all  sorts  of  things 
which  are  necessary  or  useful  to  grandees,  and  dis- 
missed me,  with  a  letter  to  my  father  and  a  guard  of 
fifty  men.  AVhen  I  arrived  in  this  city  the  corpse 
of  my  father  was  just  being  carried  to  the  cemetery. 
Having  mourned  for  the  death  of  my  father,  I  estab- 
lished myself  firmly  upon  the  throne  of  dominion. 
Although  my  peace  was  for  some  time  in  jeopardy 
from  the  misfortunes  I  had  endured,  yet  it  was  bj- 
the  help  of  a  trade  that  I  was  saved.  I  have  perfect 
confidence  in  skilful  men,  and  have  decided  always 
to  honour  men  who  have  a  profession  and  despise 
those  that  have  none."^ 


1  I  have  read  an  Indian  story  very  similar  to  this,  in  which  a 
brother  and  sister,  children  of  a  king,  are  accidentally  separated, 
and  the  young  prince  falls  into  the  hands  of  a  rascal  like  the  Jew 
in  the  above  ;  but  I  cannot  recollect  the  joarticular  story-book  in 
which  it  occurs. 


442  PERSIAN  STORIES. 


THE    HIDDEN    TREASURE. 

THERE  dwelt  in  Damascus  a  man  of  the  name 
of  Zayn  al-Arab,  with  the  honey  of  whose  hfe  the 
poison  of  hardship  was  ahvays  mixed.  Day  and  night 
he  hastened  Hke  the  breeze  from  north  to  south  in 
the  world  of  exertion,  and  he  was  burning  brightly 
like  straw,  from  his  endeavours,  in  the  oven  of  acquisi- 
tion, in  order  to  gain  a  loaf  of  bread  and  to  feed  his 
family.  In  course  of  time,  however,  he  succeeded  in 
accumulating  a  considerable  sum  of  money,  but  as  he 
had  tasted  the  bitterness  and  poison  of  destitution, 
and  had  for  a  very  long  time  borne  the  heavy  load  of 
poverty  upon  his  back,  and  fearing  to  lose  his  property 
by  the  chameleon-like  changes  of  Fortune,  one  night 
he  carried  his  money  out  of  the  city  and  buried  it 
under  a  tree.  After  some  time  had  passed  he  began 
to  miss  the  presence  of  his  treasure  and  betook  him- 
self to  the  tree,  in  order  that  he  might  refresh  his  eyes 
with  the  sight  of  it.  But  when  he  had  dug  the  ground 
at  the  foot  of  the  tree  he  discovered  that  his  soul- 
exhilarating  deposit  was  refreshing  the  palate  of  some 
one  else.  The  morning  of  his  prosperity  was  suddenly 
changed  into  the  evening  of  bitterness  and  of  disap- 
pointment. He  was  per[)lexed  as  to  what  friend  to 
confide  his  secret,  and  to  what  remedy  to  fly  for  the 
recovery  of  his   treasure.      Tlie  lancet   of  grief  had 


THE  HIDDEN  TREASURE.  443 

pierced  the  liver  of  his  peace ;  and  the  huntsman  of 
distress  had  tied  up  the  wings  and  feet  of  the  bird  of 
his  serenity. 

One  day  he  went  on  some  business  to  a  learned 
and  wise  man  of  the  city,  with  whom  he  was  on  a 
footing  of  intimacy,  who  said  to  him  :  "  I  have  for 
some  time  past  observed  the  glade  of  your  circum- 
stances destroyed  by  the  burning  coals  of  restlessness, 
and  a  sad  change  in  your  health,  the  cause  of  which  I 
do  not  know,  nor  do  I  know  what  thorn  of  misfortune 
has  pierced  the  foot  of  your  heart,  nor  what  dawn  of 
hardship  has  risen  in  the  east  of  your  mind."  Zayn 
al-Arab  wept  tears  of  sadness  and  replied:  "O  thou 
standard  coin  from  the  mint  of  love  !  the  treachery  of 
Fortune  has  brought  a  strange  accident  upon  me,  and 
the  bow  of  Destiny  has  let  fly  an  unpropitious  arrow 
upon  my  feeble  target.  I  have  a  heavy  heart  and  a 
great  sorrow.  Were  I  to  reveal  it  to  you  perhaps  it 
would  be  of  no  use,  and  might  also  plunge  you  into 
grief. "  The  learned  man  said  :  "  Since  the  hearts 
of  intimate  friends  are  like  looking-glasses,  and  are 
receiving  the  figures  of  mutual  secrets,  it  is  at  all 
times  necessary  that  they  should  communicate  to  each 
other  any  difficulties  which  they  may  fall  into,  in 
order  that  they  may  be  overcome  by  taking  together 
steps  which  prudence  should  dictate."  Zayn  al-Arab 
answered:  "Dear  friend,  I  had  some  gold,  and  fearing 
lest  it  should  be  stolen,  I  carried  it  to  such  a  place 
and  buried  it  under  a  tree  ;  and  when  I  next  visited 


444  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

the  spot  I  found  the  garment  of  my  beloved  Joseph 
sprinkled  with  the  blood  of  the  wolf  of  deception." 
The  learned  man  rejoined:  "This  is  a  serious  mis- 
chance, and  it  will  be  difficult  to  get  on  the  track  of 
your  gold.  Perhaps  you  were  seen  by  some  person 
when  you  concealed  it :  he  who  has  taken  it  away  will 
surely  have  to  account  for  it  in  the  next  world,  for 
God  is  omniscient.  Give  me  ten  days  for  considera- 
tion of  this  matter,  and  it  may  be  that  something  will 
occur  to  me  when  I  have  examined  the  book  of 
expedients  and  stratagems." 

That  knowing  man  sat  down  for  the  space  of  ten 
days  in  the  school  of  meditation ;  but  after  turning 
over  the  leaves  of  the  volume  of  his  mind  from  the 
preface  to  the  epilogue  he  could  devise  no  plan.  On 
the  tenth  day  they  met  in  the  street,  and  he  said  to 
Zayn  al-Arab  :  "  Although  the  diver  of  my  mind  has 
plunged  and  searched  most  diligently  into  this  deep 
sea,  he  has  been  unable  to  take  hold  of  the  precious 
pearl  of  a  wise  plan  of  operation.  May  God  recom- 
pense you  from  the  stores  of  his  hidden  treasury!" 
They  were  conversing  in  this  way  when  a  lunatic  met 
them  and  asked  :  "  Well,  my  boys,  what  is  all  your 
secret-mongering  about?"  The  learned  man  said 
to  Zayn  al-Arab  :  "  Come,  let  us  relate  our  case  to 
this  crazy  fellow,  and  see  whether  some  flower  will 
bloom  in  his  mind."  Zayn  al-Aral:)  replied  :  "  Dear 
friend,  when  you  with  all  your  knowledge  have  failed 
to  devise  aught  during  ten  days'  cogitation,  how  can 


THE  HIDDEN  TREASURE.  445 

we  expect  to  obtain  any  information  from  this  un- 
fortunate, who  does  not  know  whether  it  is  day  or 
night  ?"  Quoth  the  learned  man  :  "  There  is  no  telHng 
what  he  might  say  to  us  ;  but  you  are  aware  that  the 
most  fooHsh  as  well  as  the  wisest  have  ideas,  and  a 
remark,  uttered  perhaps  at  random,  often  furnishes 
a  clue  by  which  the  desired  end  is  attained."  Mean- 
while a  little  boy  had  approached,  and  seeing  the 
crazy  fellow  stopped  to  observe  his  antics. 

The  two  friends  explained  their  case  to  the  lunatic, 
who,  after  being  apparently  immersed  in  thought  for 
some  time,  remarked  :  "  He  who  took  the  root  of  that 
tree  for  a  medicine  also  took  the  gold,"  and  then 
turning  his  back  to  them  went  his  way.  They  con- 
sulted with  each  other  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  crazy 
man's  observation,  when  the  little  boy  asked  what 
kind  of  a  tree  it  was.  Zayn  al-Arab  replied  that  it 
was  a  jujube-tree.  Then  said  the  boy  :  "  This  is  a 
simple  affair.  You  ought  to  inquire  of  all  the  doctors 
in  the  city  for  whom  a  medicine  compounded  of  the 
roots  of  that  tree  has  been  prescribed."  The  learned 
man  greatly  approved  of  the  boy's  acuteness  and  also 
of  the  crazy  man's  lucky  thought ;  and  being  very  well 
acquainted  with  all  the  physicians  of  the  city,  he 
made  his  inquiries  till  he  was  informed  by  one  of 
them  that  about  twenty  days  before  he  had  prescribed 
for  a  merchant  named  Khoja  Samander,  who  suffered 
from  asthma,  and  that  one  of  the  remedies  was  the 
root  of  that  jujube-tree.     The  learned  man  soon  dis- 


446  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

covered  the  merchant's  house,  found  him  enjoying 
perfect  health,  and  thus  addressed  him  :  "  Ah,  Khoja, 
all  the  goods  of  this  world  ought  to  be  given  up  to 
purchase  health.  By  the  blessing  of  God,  you  have 
recovered  your  health,  and  you  ought  to  restore  what 
you  found  at  the  foot  of  the  jujube-tree,  because  the 
owner  of  it  is  a  worthy  man,  and  it  was  his  only 
possession."  The  honest  merchant  replied  :  "  It  is 
true,  I  have  found  it,  and  it  is  with  me.  If  you  will 
tell  me  the  amount  of  the  gold  I  shall  deliver  it  into 
your  hands ; "  and  when  Zayn  al-Arab  stated  the  exact 
sum  he  obtained  his  lost  money. 


THE   DEAF    MAN    AND    HIS   SICK  FRIEND. 

A  DEAF  man  had  a  friend,  the  garden  of  whose 
health  became  withered  by  the  autumnal  breeze 
of  sickness,  and  by  it  he  was  laid  prostrate  on  the  bed 
of  infirmity,  and  once  went  on  a  visit  of  condolence  to 
him.  On  the  road  he  said  to  himself :  "  When  I 
meet  the  sick  man  I  shall  ask  him  how  he  is.  And 
he  will  certainly  reply  :  '  I  feel  a  little  better.'  Then  I 
will  say  :  '  God  be  praised  !'  After  that  I  will  inquire 
who  his  physician  is,  and  he  will  give  me  the  name  of 
the  doctor.  Then  I  will  say  :  '  He  is  very  skilful,  and 
he  will  soon  free  you  from  your  disease.'  After  that  I 
will  ask  what  food  and  medicine  he  takes.     He  will 


THE  DEAF  MAN.  447 

tell  me,  and  then  I  will  say :  '  Both  of  them  are  very 
appropriate  for  your  distemper;'  and  having  recited 
the  Fdtiha^  I  shall  depart." 

He  exercised  himself  in  these  questions  and  answers 
till  he  reached  the  house  of  his  sick  friend,  who  hap- 
pened at  the  time  to  labour  under  great  nausea  and 
depression  of  spirits.  The  deaf  man  asked  him  :  "  How 
do  you  feel,  my  friend?"  Said  the  sick  man,  in 
peevish  tones  :  "  Do  not  ask  me — I  am  ready  to  give 
up  the  ghost."  The  deaf  man  smiled  and  said  :  "  God 
be  praised  !  My  prayer  has  been  heard."  After  that 
he  asked:  "Who  is  your  physician,  my  friend?" 
Quoth  the  sick  man  :  "  The  angel  of  death."  This 
puzzled  the  deaf  man  a  little,  but  he  answered  :  "  That 
is  well.  I  also  had  him  in  view,  because  he  is  so 
skilful,  and  cures  every  patient  he  treats."  Then  he 
asked  what  his  food  and  medicine  were.  The  sick 
man  replied :  "  Pain  and  distress."  Said  the  deaf 
man  ;  "  IVIay  they  redound  to  your  welfare ;  both  are 
very  proper  for  your  disease."  Then  he  began  to 
recite  the  Fdtiha,  and  the  sick  man  said  :  "  May  God 
forgive  you,"  and  the  deaf  man  took  his  leave. 

1  The  first  chapter  of  the  Kuran  ;  employed  by  Muslims  as  the 
Taternoster  is  amonsr  Christians. 


448  PERSIAN  STORIES. 


THE  GARDENER  AND  THE  LITTLE  BIRD. 

IT  is  related  that  a  rich  man  in  the  city  of  Balkh 
possessed  a  garden  pleasant  to  behold  as  the  roses 
on  the  cheeks  of  fairies,  adorned  with  various  fragrant 
plants,  blossoming  flowers,  and  fruit-bearing  trees. 
In  that  garden  a  little  bird  took  up  its  abode  and 
amused  itself  by  casting  the  fruits,  whether  they  were 
ripe  or  not,  on  the  ground.  Whenever  the  gardener 
entered  and  beheld  the  damage  thus  occasioned,  the 
bottom  of  his  heart  was  stung  with  the  thorn  of  grief, 
and  the  blooming  verdure  of  the  spring  of  his  joy 
became  withered  by  the  cold  blasts  of  the  autumn  of 
that  event.  Though  he  rubbed  the  hands  of  regret 
much  on  each  other,  he  could  not  remedy  the  evil 
until  he  had  spread  a  net  in  the  haunts  of  the  bird, 
which  was  soon  made  a  prisoner.  When  the  gardener 
discovered  his  good  fortune  he  joyfully  leaped  from 
his  ambush,  caught  hold  of  the  little  bird,  intending 
to  despatch  it  to  the  regions  of  non-existence.  In  its 
extremity  the  feathered  captive  thus  spoke  to  the 
gardener :  "  Ornament  of  the  world  of  intelligence  ! 
may  the  paradise  of  your  good  wishes  always  be  the 
recipient  of  various  divine  favours  I  Consider  that  if 
you  destroy  me,  your  loss  cannot  be  repaired,  and 
that  he  who  dies  is  saved  from  all  the  troubles  of  this 
world.  But  as  I  am  to  be  killed  for  acts  which  you 
deem  improper,  the  love  of  life  impels  me  to  make  a 


THE    GARDENER  AND    THE  BIRD.  449 

Statement,  if  you  will  permit  me,  after  which  you  ma\- 
do  as  you  choose ;  but  remember  that  patience  is  a 
virtue  of  the  high-minded,  and  hastiness  a  failing  of 
foolish  men."^  The  gardener,  whose  wrath  had  some- 
what abated  during  the  address  of  the  little  bird, 
replied  :  "  Before  the  whirlwind  of  death  blows  in  the 
field  of  your  life,  you  are  at  liberty  to  say  what  you 
desire  to  say." 

The  little  bird  then  said :  "  Wise  gardener,  be 
aware  that  in  the  west  there  is  an  oasis  which  my 
tribe  inhabits,  but  I  left  my  relatives  and  came  to  this 
spot.  The  pleasantness  of  this  garden  attracted  me, 
and  for  some  time  I  reposed  myself  on  the  branch  of 
a  tree.  A  nightingale  and  a  lapwing  were  sitting 
together  on  the  top  of  a  date-tree,  and  a  locust  was 
flying  towards  them  which  both  of  them  wished  to 
catch.  The  nightingale  was  fortunate  enough  to  seize 
it,  but  the  lapwing  snatched  it  from  its  captor's  beak. 
Hereon  the  nightingale  said :  '  O  lapwing,  are  you 
not  ashamed  to  possess  yourself  of  my  prey  ?  If  you 
are  able,  why  do  you  not  catch  your  own  game?' 
The  lapwing  replied :  '  Silence !  To  get  the  prey  is 
no  honour,  but  it  is  so  to  deprive  the  hunter  of  his 
prey.'  Said  the  nightingale:  'This  maybe  true;  so 
I  give  it  up.  But,  lapwing,  I  have  heard  the  other 
birds  speak  a  great  deal  about  you,  and  now  that  we 
have  met,  and  as  your  species  has  in  the  service  of 

1  The  Turks  have  the  proverb  :  "  Patience  is  of  God  ;  haste 
is  of  the  Devil." 

2  G 


450  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

the  Lord  Sulayman  (salutation  to  our  Prophet  and  to 
him  !)  enjoyed  greater  proximity  to  him  than  has  been 
the  lot  of  any  other  kind  of  birds,  I  wish  to  know 
what  gifts  or  rewards  you  have  obtained  from  him  for 
the  account  which  you  furnished  him  of  the  city  of 
Saba  and  your  help  in  other  matters.'^  The  lapwing 
replied :  '  King  Sulayman  bestowed  on  our  species 
three  gifts:  (i)  Whenever  the  earth  is  being  dug  up 
for  water,  we  are  able  to  tell  at  what  depth  it  may  be 
found;  (2)  our  heads  have  been  adorned  with  the 
crest  of  nobility ;  and  (3)  we  are  acquainted  with  the 
qualities  of  fruits,  and  know  that  this  year  the  garden 
in  which  we  are  at  present  has  been  subjected  to  a 
visitation  of  God,  so  that  whosoever  should  eat  of  any 
of  its  fruits  must  immediately  die.'  Then  the  lapwing 
asked  :  '  Has  your  species  been  favoured  with  any 
other  gifts  ?'  And  the  nightingale  answered :  '  We  have 
also  been  granted  three  favours  :  (i)  a  very  melodious 
voice,  which  is  pleasing  to  all  hearers ;  (2)  we  possess 
the  property  of  being  awake  during  the  night,  which 
we  enjoy  in  common  with  ascetics  and  pious  men  ; 
and  (3)  we  have  been  invested  with  the  gaudy  robes  of 
love,  and  roses  have  been  assigned  for  our  spouses, 
whose  society  we  enjoy  without  let  or  hindrance,  and 
in  the  aspect  of  whose  heart-ravishing  cheeks  we  per- 
petually delight.' 

1  According  to  the  Kuran,  it  was  a  hoopoe,  or  lapwing,  that 
brought  Solomon  a  description  of  Saba  (or  Sheba)  and  of  Bilkis, 
its  ccleljratcd  (|uccn. 


THE    GARDENER  AND    THE  BIRD.  451 

"  O  most  intelligent  gardener,"  the  little  bird  con- 
tinued, "  when  I  heard  from  the  lapwing  that  the 
fruits  of  this  garden  were  become  deleterious,  I  made 
haste  to  pluck  and  to  throw  them  down,  lest  any 
person  should  eat  of  them  and  be  injured.  And  now 
if  you  will  promise  to  liberate  me,  I  will  communicate 
to  you  three  maxims,  by  means  of  which  you  may  be 
happy  in  this  world  and  the  next,  and  friends  and  foes 
will  alike  obey  you."  The  gardener  said:  "Speak!" 
And  the  little  bird  proceeded :  "  First,  never  trust 
persons  of  a  low  and  uncongenial  disposition ;  secondly, 
never  believe  impossibilities ;  and  thirdly,  never  repent 
of  anything  that  cannot  be  remedied."  So  the  gardener 
relaxed  his  hold,  and  the  little  bird  flew  away,  perched 
on  a  tree,  and  stretching  out  its  neck,  exclaimed  :  "  O 
gardener,  if  you  knew  what  a  treasure  you  have  allowed 
to  slip  from  your  hand,  you  would  end  your  own  life. 
Verily,  I  have  deceived  you!"  Said  the  gardener: 
"  How?"  "  In  my  body  is  a  gem  as  large  as  a  duck's 
egg,  the  like  of  which  has  never  been  discovered  by 
the  diver  into  the  region  of  imagination.  Had  you 
obtained  possession  of  this  jewel  you  might  have 
lived  happily  during  your  whole  earthly  existence." 
When  the  gardener  heard  these  words  he  tore  his  robe 
from  top  to  bottom,  strewed  the  ashes  of  repentance 
upon  his  head,  and  the  brambles  of  confusion  and 
uneasiness  sprouted  in  the  wilderness  of  his  heart.  As 
he  looked  to  the  right  and  the  left  how  he  might  again 
get  hold  of  the  little  bird,  it  flew  to  a  high  tree  and 


452  PERSIAN  STORIES. 

said :  "  Having  now  by  my  cunning  escaped  from 
your  grasp,  I  shall  take  care  not  to  fell  into  it  again. 
Do  not  flatter  yourself  that  you  will  get  hold  of  me  a 
second  time."  The  gardener  began  to  weep  and 
heaved  every  moment  deep  sighs  from  the  bottom  of 
his  heart,  but  the  little  bird  said  jeeringly :  "  It  is  a 
pity  that  the  name  of  man  should  be  applied  to  a 
silly  fellow  like  yourself  I  just  communicated  to  you 
three  maxims,  all  of  which  you  have  already  forgotten. 
I  advised  you  not  to  be  deceived  by  mean  and 
uncongenial  persons ; — wh)-,  then,  have  you  believed 
my  words  and  set  me  free  ?  I  farther  told  you  not  to 
believe  impossibilities ; — then  why  do  you  put  faith  in 
my  words,  seeing  that  nothing  could  be  more  absurd 
than  the  idea  of  a  weak  little  bird  like  myself  having 
in  its  body  a  gem  as  large  as  a  duck's  egg  ?  Lastly,  I 
advised  you  not  to  repent  of  anything  which  is 
irreparable,  nevertheless  you  now  moan  and  lament." 
After  uttering  these  words  the  little  bird  disappeared 
from  the  sight  of  the  gardener. 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX. 


Hatim  Tai  and  the  Benevolent  Lady — p.  46. 

This  story  seems  to  have  been  written  down  from  recollection 
of  some  of  the  incidents  in  the  Persian  Romance  which  purports 
to  recount  the  adventures  of  the  renowned  Hatim  et-Ta'i,  the 
generous  Arab  chief — a  work  of  uncertain  authorship  or  date. 
It  was  probably  written  about  the  end  of  the  17th  or  beginning 
of  the  i8th  centur)',  as  the  MS.  copy  used  by  Dr.  Duncan 
Forbes  for  his  English  translation,  published  in  1830,  which  he 
procured  in  1824,  he  considered  to  be  at  least  a  hundred  years 
old.  The  opening  of  our  version — if  indeed  such  it  may  be 
styled — is  absurdly  inconsistent  with  all  that  is  traditionally 
recorded  of  Hatim.  This  is  how  the  incident  of  Hatim  and  the 
Darvesh  is  related  in  a  Persian  story-book,  according  to  Dr. 
Jonathan  Scott's  rendering  in  his  Tales,  Anecdotes,  and  Letters 
from  the  Arabic  and  Persian,  published  in  1800,  p.  251  : 

Hatim  had  a  large  storehouse  having  70  entrances,  at  each  of 
which  he  used  to  bestow  alms  on  the  poor.  After  his  death 
his  brother,  who  succeeded  him,  wished  to  imitate  his  great 
example,  but  his  mother  dissuaded  him  from  such  an  attempt, 
saying:  "My  son,  it  is  »ot  in  thy  nature."  He  would  not 
attend  to  her  advice,  upon  which  she  one  day,  having  disguised 
herself  as  a  mendicant,  came  to  one  of  the  doors,  where  her  son 
relieved  her ;  she  went  to  another  door  and  was  relieved  once 
more  ;  she  then  went  to  a  third  door,  when  her  son  said  :  "  I  have 
given  thee  twice  already,  and  yet  thou  importunest  me  again." 


456  APPENDIX. 


"  Did  I  not  tell  thee,  my  son,"  said  the  mother,  discovering 
herself,  "  that  thou  couldst  not  equal  the  liberality  of  thy 
brother?  I  tried  him  as  I  have  tried  thee,  and  he  relieved  me 
at  each  of  the  70  doors  without  asking  me  a  question  ;  but  I 
knew  thy  nature  and  his.  When  I  suckled  thee,  and  one  nipple 
was  in  thy  mouth,  thou  didst  always  hold  thy  hand  upon  the 
other,  but  thy  l)rother  the  contrary." 

It  is  quite  ludicrous  to  represent  Hatim  as  setting  out  for 
China  to  see  a  lady  who  was  declared  by  a  wandering  darvesh 
to  be  far  more  liberal  than  himself.  From  the  following  abstract 
of  the  Romance — which  begins  where  our  story  ends — it  will  be 
seen  that  Hatim  was  actuated  by  nobler  motives  in  undertaking 
his  several  adventures.  The  opening  of  the  romance  is  repro- 
duced almost  in  full  from  Forbes'  translation. 

Abstract  of  the  Romance  of  Hatim  Tai. 

In  the  kingdom  of  Khurasan,  during  the  reign  of  Kardan  Shah, 
there  lived  a  worthy  merchant,  of  great  dignity,  named  Burzakh, 
who  was  on  intimate  terms  with  the  king.  He  died,  leaving  an 
only  daughter  as  his  heir,  twelve  years  of  age,  and  the  king  took 
her  under  his  protection,  saying  :  "  She  is  my  daughter."  Husn 
Bam'i  esteemed  her  wealth  as  no  better  than  sand,  and  she  began 
to  distribute  it  in  charity.  One  day  a  darvesh,  attended  by  forty 
slaves!  passed  her  house  while  she  w^as  seated  in  her  balcony. 

I  Yet  once  more  the  number  forty,  which  the  Jews  and  their  Arabian 
cousins  seem  always  to  have  regarded  with  peculiar  veneration — see  pages 
140,  155,  188,  and  to  the  instances  there  noted  I  may  here  add  a  few  others. 
In  the  Arabian  tale  of  the  Third  Calender,  his  voyage  is   prosperous   for 

forty  days,  and  he  is  entertained  hy  forty  fairy  damsels,  who  absented  them- 
selves for  forty  days.  In  the  tale  of  Aladdin  and  his  Lamp,  when  his 
magic  palace  has  disappeared  the  sultan  allows  him  forty  days  to  find  it  and 
the  princess. — Among  other  Biblical  instances,  "'Isaac  was  forty  years  old 
when  he  took  Rebekah  to  wife,"  Gen.  xxv,  20,  and  Esau  was  of  the  same 
age  when  he  wedded  two  Hittite  damsels,  Gen.  xxvi,  34.     Eli  judged  Israel 

forty  years,  i  Samuel,  iv,'i8.     David  and  Solomon  each  r&ignedforty  years, 


ROMANCE    OF  HATIM  TAI.  457 

He  was  the  king's  spiritual  guide.  Husn  Band  sent  a  servant  to 
invite  him  to  an  entertainment  at  her  house,  and  he  promised  tf) 
come  the  next  day.  She  prepared  for  an  offering  to  him  nine 
suits  of  silken  garments,  embroidered  with  gold,  and  seven  trays 
of  pure  solid  gold  and  baskets  of  fruit.  The  pride  of  this  dar- 
vesh  was  such  that  he  would  not  touch  the  earth  when  he 
walked,  but  had  his  path  paved  with  bricks  of  gold  and  silver, 
and  on  these  alone  he  placed  his  feet.  On  entering  the  house  of 
Husn  Banu  he  was  presented  with  trays  full  of  gold  and  silver. 
He  was  amazed  at  the  display  of  wealth,  and  resolved  that  very 
night  to  seize  the  treasure.  Accordingly  he  and  his  forty  slaves 
broke  into  the  house,  killed  such  as  resisted  them,  and  carried 
off  all  the  treasure.  Husn  Banu  and  her  nurse,  concealed  in  the 
lattice,  saw  the  thieves  and  knew  them.  Next  day,  she  com- 
plained to  the  king  that  the  darvesh  had  robbed  her  house. 
This  the  king  refused  to  believe,  calling  the  darvesh  the  most 
holy  man  of  the  age  ;  but  she  declared  that  he  was  the  fiend  of 
the  age.  Upon  this  the  king  in  a  rage  ordered  Husn  Banu  and 
her  attendants  to  be  stoned  to  death,  as  a  warning  to  others. 
But  the  chief  minister  reminded  him  that  she  was  the  daughter 

2  Samuel,  v,  4  ;  1  Kings,  ii,  11  ;  xi,  42.     The  "  curious  "  reader  may  farther 
refer  to  Exodus  xxvi,  19;   Joshua  xiv,  7;   Judges  iii,   11,  viii,  28,  xiii,  i  ; 
2  Samuel,  xv,  7  ;  i  Kings,  vi,  17,  vii,  38  ;  2  Kings,  viii,  9  ;  Ezekiel  xxix, 
II,  12  ;  Acts  xxiii,  21  ;  2  Corinthians,  xi,  24. — In  '^zXusforty  loaves  of  bread 
TcnA  forty  dishes  of  butter  are  a  common  quantity  in  the  records  of  rents  paid 
to  the  bishops  of  Llandaff.     The  fee  of  a  bard  for  his  vocal  song  at  a  festival 
■*;zs  forty  pence  when  he  was  a  disciple,  and  tioice  forty  for  a  master.     The 
"  unthrifty  Heir  of  Linne,"  according  to  the  fine  old  ballad,  tried  to  borrow 
forty  pence  of  John  o"  the  Scales,  who  had  become  the  owner  of  his  lands. 
And  who  is  not  familiar  with  Wamba's  song,  in  praise  of  "  Forty  Years," 
in  Thackeray's  Rebecca  and  Ro7uena,  where  we  are  told  that 
"  Fortj'  times  over  let  Michaelmas  pass, 
Grizzling  hair  the  brain  doth  clear ; 
Then  you  know  a  boy  is  an  ass. 
Then  you  know  the  worth  of  a  lass, 
Once  you've  come  to  Forty  Year  !  " 
And  do  we  not  speak  of  a  buxom  dame  as  "fat,  fair,  and  forty"  ? 


4S8  APPENDIX. 


of  Burzakh  the  merchant,  and  that  by  putting  her  to  death  he 
would  estrange  the  hearts  of  his  subjects.  So  the  king  spared 
her  life,  ])ut  caused  her  to  be  expelled  from  the  city. 

In  the  desert,  under  a  shady  tree,  Husn  Bam'i  and  her  old 
nurse  fell  asleep ;  and  in  a  dream  a  man  appeared  to  Husn  Banii, 
and  told  her  that  beneath  that  tree  was  buried  the  treasure  of 
the  seven  regions,  hidden  there  by  the  King  of  Truth,  for  her 
sake,  and  she  was  to  arise  and  take  possession  thereof.  ' '  I  am 
a  woman,"  she  replied,  "and  how  can  I  bring  it  out  of  the 
earth?"  The  apparition  said:  "Dig  the  earth  with  a  little 
spade  :  let  the  means  be  applied  by  thee,  and  God  will  grant 
success.  Moreover,  no  one  is  able  forcibly  to  deprive  thee  of 
the  treasure.  Arise  and  build  a  city  on  this  spot."  Husn 
Banu  having  told  of  her  dream  to  her  nurse,  they  both  set  to 
work  and  dug  with  a  piece  of  wood,  when  instantly  they  saw 
a  pit  full  of  yellow  gold,  chests  full  of  jewels,  cups  full  of  rubies, 
and  costly  pearls  the  size  of  ducks'  eggs.  Husn  Banii  rendered 
thanks  to  the  Most  High,  then  giving  some  gold  to  her  nurse 
desired  her  to  return  to  the  city  and  fetch  food  and  raiment, 
architects  and  labourers.  Just  then  her  foster-brother,  in  a 
mendicant's  garb,  passed  by,  and  he  recognised  her.  Telling 
him  how  God  had  given  her  wealth  again,  she  requested  him  to 
bring  thither  his  relations. 

The  foster-brother  soon  returned  with  a  builder  named 
Mu'amir.  She  bids  him  begin  to  build  a  city,  but  he  explains 
that  the  king's  permission  must  be  first  obtained.  So  Husn  Banii 
dresses  herself  in  man's  apparel,  and  takes  for  a  present  a  cup 
full  of  rubies  and  a  casket  full  of  brilliant  jewels.  She  gives 
valuable  gifts  to  the  king's  officers,  representing  herself  as  a 
merchant  newly  arrived  from  abroad  and  desirous  of  offering 
presents  to  the  king.  His  majesty  is  astonished  to  see  the 
priceless  gifts  and  asks:  "Sir,  whence  art  thou?"  She  replies 
that  her  father  was  a  merchant  of  Iran,  who  died  at  sea ;  that 
she  was  an  orphan  and  without  kindred  ;  had  heard  of  his  good 
(lualities  ;  had  pitched  tents  in  a  tract  of  desert,  and  desired  leave 


ROMANCE   OF  HA  TIM  TAI.  459 


to  build  a  city  there.  The  king  presents  her  with  a  dress  of 
honour  and  adopts  her  as  his  son ;  and  suggests  that  she  should 
rather  build  her  city  near  the  capital  and  call  it  Shahabad 
{i.e.  king's  city).  But  Husn  Banu  prefers  the  desert,  so  the  king 
gives  her  the  required  pemnission. 

The  city  was  built  in  about  two  years,  and  Husn  Banii 
visited  the  king  once  ever}-  month.  One  day  he  tells  her  that  he 
is  about  to  visit  his  darvesh  and  prevails  on  her  to  accompany 
him.  She  invites  the  darvesh  to  her  house,  and  on  his  consenting 
she  observes  :  "  But  my  house  is  far  distant,  and  in  the  capital 
there  is  the  unoccupied  house  of  Burzakh  the  merchant."  The 
king  makes  it  over  to  her  as  a  free  gift.  Finding  her  father's 
house  has  fallen  to  decay,  she  has  it  repaired  and  furnished 
splendidly.  On  the  day  appointed  the  dar\-esh  came,  and  he 
declined  the  jewels  offered  to  him  by  Husn  Banii,  who  had  also 
displayed  vast  wealth  throughout  the  apartment ;  and  even  at  the 
banquet  he  pretended  that  he  could  not  partake  of  dainty  dishes. 
When  the  darvesh  and  his  attendants  had  taken  their  leave, 
Husn  Banii  caused  all  the  golden  dishes,  etc.  to  be  left  as  at 
the  banquet,  and  warned  the  captain  of  the  watch  that  she  had 
reason  to  fear  being  robbed.  At  night  the  darvesh  and  his 
forty  slaves  entered  the  house,  and  having  tied  up  the  valuables 
in  bundles  were  about  to  be  off  with  their  plunder — the 
darvesh  himself  carrj-ing  a  cup  full  of  rubies  in  his  hand — when 
the  night  watch  rushed  in,  seized  and  secured  the  robbers,  and 
laid  them  in  prison.  Next  day  when  the  king  opened  his  court 
Husn  Banu  appeared,  1  and  the  kutwal  brought  the  prisoners, 
each  with  his  bundle  of  booty  hanging  from  his  neck,  and  made 
his  report.  The  king  thought  the  leader  of  the  gang  resembled  a 
certain  darvesh.  Thereupon  Husn  Banii  told  her  story,  and  the 
king  ordered  all  the  robbers  to  be  instantly  put  to  death.  Her 
father's  property,  of  which  she  had  been  formerly  robbed,  was 
found  in  the  house  of  the  darvesh,  and  she  presented  it  all  to  the 
king.  Soon  after  this  occurrence  the  king  visited  Husn  Banii  at 
I  Still  in  man's  attire,  of  course. 


46o  APPENDIX. 


Shahabad,  and  she  gave  him  much  gold  ;  then  pointing  out 
the  source  of  her  wealth  desired  him  to  cause  his  attendants  to 
convey  it  to  his  own  treasury.  But  when  they  began  to  handle 
the  gold,  it  turned  into  serpents  and  dragons,  which  convinced 
the  king  that  it  was  devoted  to  her  sole  use.  She  built  a  house 
for  the  entertainment  of  travellers,  each  of  whom  received  a 
handsome  present  on  leaving,  and  the  fame  of  her  generosity 
was  noised  abroad. 

Husn  Banu,  being  young,  beautiful,  and  passing  rich,  had  of 
course  many  suitors  for  her  hand  in  marriage,  and  she  one  day 
consulted  with  her  nurse  as  to  the  best  means  of  securing 
herself  from  the  importunity  of  worldly  men.  The  nurse  said 
she  had  seven  questions  (or  tasks),  which  Husn  Banii  should 
propose  to  every  suitor,  and  he  who  complied  with  the  terms 
which  they  embraced  should  be  her  husljand,  to  which  she 
agreed.  Her  fame  being  spread  far  and  wide.  Prince  Munir, 
the  son  of  the  king  of  Kharizm,  sent  a  painter  to  draw  her 
portrait,  which  he  did  from  the  reflection  of  her  face  in  a  vessel 
full  of  waterl  and  brought  it  to  the  prince,  who  on  seeing  it 
became  quite  frantic  from  love,  and  that  same  night  he  set  out 
privily  for  Shahabad.  Obtaining  an  interview  with  Husn  Banii 
and  declaring  his  passion,  she  replied  :  "You  must  first  answer 
me  seven  questions.  There  is  a  man  who  constantly  exclaims  : 
'  What  I  once  saw  I  long  to  see  a  second  ti?>tc.^  Inform  me 
where  he  lives  and  what  he  saw,  and  then  I  will  put  the  second 

1  The  painter  not  being  permitted  to  behold  her  face.  This  often  occurs 
in  Persian  stories ;  but  I  have  seen  many  native  pictures  of  Persian  women 
of  all  classes,  which  were  evidently  portraits  and  could  not  all  have  been 
drawn  in  the  manner  above  described.  Judging  from  those  pictures,  the 
in-door  clothing  of  Persian  ladles  is  extremely  scanty ;  but  it  should  be 
recollected  that  they  are  not  seen  in  the  haram  apartments  by  any  but 
women  and  children  and  very  near  male  relatives.  The  "full"  dress  of 
European  ladies  is  much  more  reprehensible  than  the  in-door  dress  of  their 
Persian  sisters  (if  indeed  that  of  the  latter  maybe  considered  at  all  "im- 
proper"), since  it  exposes  the  greater  part  of  the  bosom  and  the  shoulders 
and  the  spine  lo  public  view  ! 


ROMANCE    OF  HATIM  TAI.  461 


question."  The  prince  takes  his  leave  and  wanders  about  all 
sad  at  heart.  He  is  met  by  Hatim  Tai',  who  learns  from  him 
the  cause  of  his  evident  sorrow,  and  undertakes  to  perform  the 
task  for  him.  Having  entertained  the  prince  for  three  days, 
Hatim  takes  him  back  to  Shahabad,  and  they  go  into  the 
caravanserai  there  ;  but  Hatim  refusing  both  the  food  and  the 
gold  always  presented  to  travellers,  he  is  taken  before  Husn 
Bani'i,  who  asks  him  the  reason  of  this  strange  conduct.  Hatim 
only  desires  to  look  at  her  face.  She  tells  him  that  he  must 
first  bring  her  the  solution  of  seven  questions,  to  which  Hatim 
agrees,  on  the  condition  that  she  would  become  at  his  disposal 
in  the  event  of  his  succeeding,  which  condition  was  at  once 
written  and  signed  and  confirmed  by  witnesses.  Then  Hatim, 
leaving  the  lov^e-struck  prince  at  the  caravanserai,  sets  out  to 
obtain  an  answer  to  Husn  Band's  First   Question. 

After  many  surprising  adventures,  Hatim  at  length  reaches  a 
desert  where  an  old  man  is  crying  :  ' '  What  I  once  saw  I  lottg 
to  see  a  second  time,"  and  learns  from  him  that  once  he  was 
walking  on  the  border  of  a  lake,  when  he  saw  a  damsel  who 
took  him  by  the  hand  and  leaped  with  him  into  the  water, 
whereupon  he  found  himself  in  a  magnificent  garden  and  beheld 
a  lovely  female  form  closely  veiled ;  and  on  venturing  to  raise 
the  veil  he  was  instantly  struck  to  the  ground,  and  opening  his 
eyes  found  himself  in  that  desert,  where  he  had  ever  since 
wandered  about,  restless  and  forlorn,  wishing  to  see  that  beau- 
teous fairy  once  more.  Hatim — for  whom  nothing  was  too 
difficult,  for  he  had  all  sorts  of  talismans — conducts  the  old 
man  to  the  fairy,  after  which  he  returns  with  the  required 
information  to  Husn  Banii. 

His  Second  Adventure  is  to  ascertain  why  a  man  has  above 
his  door  these  words  :  "  Do  good,  and  cast  it  on  the  wate?- ;"  who 
he  is,  and  where  his  house  is  situated.  In  the  course  of  this 
expedition  he  performs  three  additional  tasks  in  order  to  obtain 


462  APPENDIX. 


for  another  distracted  lover  the  daughter  of  a  merchant  for  his 
wife,  the  second  of  which  is  :  Who  is  the  man  that  cries  every 
Friday  and  why  does  he  cry:  "/  have  done  nothing  that  will 
benefit  me  this  night"?  Hatim  comes  to  a  sand-hill  (having 
been  directed  to  the  spot  by  the  grateful  inhabitants  of  a  town, 
whose  lives  he  had  saved  by  slaying  a  man-eating  monster),  and 
hears  the  voice.  As  he  advances  he  discovers  a  number  of  the 
dead  rising  out  of  their  graves,  with  angelic  countenances  and 
apparelled  in  splendid  robes — all  save  one,  who  was  covered 
with  dust  and  ashes  and  sat  on  the  cold  ground,  while  the  others 
sat  on  thrones  drinking  nectar,  and  never  gave  him  to  drink 
thereof.  This  wight  sighed  heavily  and  exclaimed:  ^^ Alas,  I 
have  not  done  that  which  might  benefit  me  this  night !"  He  tells 
Hatim  that  he  was  a  merchant  and  those  around  him  had  been 
his  servants.  He  was  a  great  miser,  but  his  servants  fed  the 
hungry  and  clothed  the  naked.  On  a  journey  a  gang  of  robbers 
attacked  and  murdered  him  and  all  his  followers.  "Here  they 
rest  as  martyrs  —  they  are  crowned  with  glory,  while  I  am 
plunged  in  misery.  In  the  capital  of  China,  my  native  country, 
are  my  grandchildren  living  in  abject  poverty.  In  a  certain 
chamber  of  my  house  is  buried  an  immense  treasure,  of  which 
no  living  man  has  knowledge."  Hatim  inquires  whether  it  was 
possible  for  him  to  minister  to  his  relief.  "  Proceed  to  the 
capital  of  China,"  says  the  miser's  shade,  "and  find  out  my 
house.  My  name  is  Yiisuf,  and  in  my  day  I  was  well  known  in 
all  parts  of  the  city.  Seek  my  descendants  ;  tell  them  of  the 
treasure  ;  divide  it  into  four  equal  portions  ;  bestow  one  portion 
on  my  grandchildren,  and  the  other  three  on  the  poor  of  the  city; 
then  perhaps  my  case  may  be  ameliorated."  Hatim  goes  at 
once  to  the  capital  of  China,  but  before  he  is  allowed  to  enter 
he  must  answer  three  questions  put  to  every  stranger  by  the 
governor's  daughter.  Of  course  Hatim  gives  correct  solutions 
of  the  enigmas,  and  then  complies  with  the  directions  of  the 
miser's  ghost. 

He   now   addresses   himself  seriously    to    the   solution   of  the 


ROMANCE   OF  HA  TIM  TAI.  463 

Second  Question  of  Husn  Banu,  but  he  has  many  wondrous 
experiences  before  he  comes  at  length  to  the  bank  of  a  large 
river,  on  which  is  a  lofty  mansion  of  stone,  and  over  the  door  is 
written  the  motto:  "  Z?^  good,  and  cast  it  on  the  water." 
Ushered  by  attendants  into  the  house,  Hatim  sees  a  venerable 
man  of  a  hundred  years  seated  upon  a  throne,  who  receives  him 
with  great  courtesy  and  causes  him  to  be  supplied  with  refresh- 
ments. When  Hatim  asks  the  meaning  of  the  motto  over  the 
door,  the  old  man  relates  his  history  :  In  his  youth  he  was 
a  great  robber,  yet  every  day  he  made  two  large  loaves  mixed 
with  sweet  oil  and  sugar,  which  he  threw  into  the  river,  saying  : 
"  This  I  give  away,  to  propitiate  Heaven."  One  day,  continues 
the  old  robber,  "  I  was  seized  with  a  sickness  and  I  thought 
a  man  grasped  me  by  the  hand  and  pointing  to  the  infernal 
regions  said  :  'There  is  the  place  destined  for  thee.'  But  two 
youths,  divinely  fair,  came  up  and  laid  hold  of  me,  saying  : 
'  We  will  not  permit  this  man  to  be  cast  into  hell,  sinful  though 
he  has  been.  His  future  state  is  in  Paradise,  and  thither  let  us 
carry  him. '  "  They  conveyed  him  accordingly  to  the  regions  of 
bliss,  and  an  angel  of  exalted  rank  telling  them  that  he  had  a 
hundred  years  yet  to  live,  they  brought  him  back  to  his  house,  and 
explained  that  they  were  the  two  loaves  he  was  wont  to  cast 
into  the  water  for  fishes  to  feed  on.  His  health  was  at  once 
restored  and  he  made  two  loaves  as  before.  When  he  went 
to  cast  them  into  the  water  he  found  a  hundred  dinars,  which 
he  took  up  and  carried  to  the  village,  where  he  caused  it  to 
be  proclaimed  that  such  a  sum  of  money  had  been  found,  but 
no  one  came  to  claim  it.  Next  day  when  he  went  to  the  river 
with  the  two  loaves  he  found  another  hundred  dinars,  and  this 
continued  till  the  eve  of  the  eleventh  day,  when  a  man  appeared 
to  him  in  the  visions  of  the  night  and  said  :  "  Servant  of  the 
Almighty,  thy  two  loaves  have  pleaded  thy  cause  in  heaven  : 
the  merciful  Creator  has  forgiven  thy  sins.  The  dinars  which 
thou  receivest  are  for  thy  subsistence,  and  what  is  superfluous 
do  thou  bestow  in  charity."     Since  then  the  old  robber  had 


464  APPENDIX. 


built  that  mansion  and  written  the  motto  over  the  door,  and 
every  day  when  he  went  to  throw  the  loaves  into  the  river  he 
found  a  hundred  dinars.  1 

Hatim  returns  with  this  story  to  Ilusn  Banu,  and  she  forth- 
with despatches  him  on  his  Third  Adventure:  "There  is  a 
man  who  constantly  cries  :  '  Injure  no  one  ;  if  you  do,  evil  will 
overtake  yoic'  Find  out  where  that  man  lives,  what  injury  he 
has  done,  and  what  evil  has  overtaken  him."  After  having  per- 
formed a  difficult  task  on  behalf  of  a  despairing  lover  whom  he 
met  on  his  way,  Hatim  at  length,  aided  by  a  band  of  fairy 
troops,  arrives  at  the  outskirts  of  Himyar,  where  he  hears  a 
voice  crying  these  words,  and  discovers  a  blind  man  confined  in 
a  cage,  which  is  suspended  from  a  branch  of  a  tree.  Hatim 
having  promised  to  mend  his  condition  and  relieve  him,  the 
blind  man  related  his  history,  as  follows  : 

"  I  am  by  occupation  a  merchant,  and  my  name  is  Hamir. 
When  I  became  of  age,  my  father  had  finished  the  building  of 
this  city,  and  he  called  the  same  after  my  name.  Shortly  after 
my  father  departed  on  a  sea  voyage  and  left  me  in  charge  of  the 
city.  I  was  a  free-hearted  and  social  young  man,  and  so  in  a 
short  time  expended  all  the  property  left  under  my  care  by  my 
father.     Thus  I  became  surrounded  with  poverty  and  want ;  and 

I  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters,"  saith  the  Preacher,  "  and  thou  shall 
find  it  after  many  days  "  (Eccl.  xi,  1) ;  but  here  the  reformed  robber  finds  it 
— or  rather,  more  than  its  equivalent — every  day.  This  notion  of  the 
loaves  he  threw  daily  into  the  river  reappearing  to  him  in  the  form  of  two 
celestial  youths  is  certainly  of  Buddhist  origin,  and  was,  with  many  other 
essentially  Buddhist  ideas,  adopted  by  the  Brahmans  after  they  got  the 
upper  hand  of  their  rivals  and  drove  them  out  of  India.  In  the  Hitopadesa 
(Friendly  Counsel),  a  Sanskrit  collection  of  apologues  and  tales,  Book  iii, 
fab.  10,  a  pious  soldier  is  directed  in  a  vision  by  Kuvera,  the  god  of  wealth, 
to  stand  in  the  morning  behind  his  door,  club  in  hand,  and  the  beggar  who 
should  come  into  the  court  knock  down  with  his  club,  when  he  will  instantly 
become  a  pot  full  of  gold.  A  similar  story  is  found  in  the  Persian  Tiltt 
Ntima  (Parrot  Book)  of  Nakhshabi,  where  a  merchant  is  thus  rewarded  who 
had  given  away  all  his  wealth  to  the  poor. 


ROMANCE   OF  HATIM  TAI.  465 

as  I  knew  that  my  father  had  hidden  treasures  somewhere  in  his 
house  I  resolved  to  discover  them  if  possible.  I  searched  every- 
where, but  found  nothing ;  and,  to  complete  my  woe,  I  received 
the  news  of  my  father's  death,  the  ship  in  which  he  sailed  being 
wrecked. 

"  One  day  as  I  was  sauntering,  mournful  and  dejected, 
through  the  bazar,  I  espied  a  learned  man  who  cried  out  :  '  If 
any  one  has  lost  his  money  by  theft  or  otherwise,  my  knowledge 
of  the  occult  sciences  enables  me  to  recover  the  same,  but  on 
condition  that  I  receive  one  fourth  of  the  amount.'  When  I 
heard  this  seasonable  proclamation,  I  immediately  approached 
the  man  of  science,  and  stated  to  him  iny  sad  condition  and 
how  I  had  been  reduced  from  affluence  to  poverty.  The  sage 
undertook  to  restore  my  wealth,  and  above  all  to  discover  the 
treasures  concealed  in  my  father's  house.  I  conducted  him  to 
the  house  and  showed  him  every  apartment,  which  he  carefully 
examined  one  after  another.  At  length  by  his  art  he  discovered 
the  stores  we  were  in  search  of;  and  when  I  saw  the  gold  and 
silver  and  other  valuables,  which  exceeded  calculation,  the 
demon  of  fraud  entered  my  heart,  and  I  refused  to  fulfil  my 
promise  of  giving  a  fourth  of  the  property  to  the  man  of  wisdom. 
I  offered  him  only  a  few  small  pieces  of  silver ;  instead  of 
accepting  which,  he  stood  for  a  few  moments  in  silent  medita- 
tion, and  with  a  look  of  scorn  said  :  '  Do  I  thus  receive  the 
fourth  part  of  your  treasure,  which  you  agreed  to  give  me  ? 
Base  man,  of  what  perjury  are  you  guilty  ! '  On  hearing  this  I 
became  enraged,  and  having  struck  him  several  blows  on  the 
face  I  expelled  him  from  my  house.  In  a  few  days,  however, 
he  returned,  and  so  far  ingratiated  himself  into  my  confidence, 
that  we  became  intimate  friends  ;  and  night  and  day  he  displayed 
before  my  sight  the  various  hidden  treasures  contained  within 
the  bowels  of  the  earth.  One  day  I  asked  him  to  instruct  me  in 
this  wonderful  science,  to  which  he  answered  that  no  instruction 
was  requisite.  '  Here,'  said  he,  '  is  a  composition  of  surma, 
and  whoever  applies  the  same  to  his  eyes,  to  him  will  all  the 

2  H 


466  APPENDIX. 


wealth  of  this  world  become  visible. 'i  '  Most  learned  sir,'  I 
replied,  '  if  you  will  anoint  my  eyes  with  this  substance,  I  pro- 
mise to  share  with  you  the  half  of  all  such  treasures  as  I  may 
discover.'  'I  agree,'  said  my  friend:  'meanwhile  let  us 
retire  to  the  desert,  where  we  shall  be  free  from  interruption.' 

"  We  immediately  set  out,  and  when  we  arrived  here  I  was 
surprised  at  seeing  this  cage,  and  asked  my  companion  whose  it 
was.  I  received  for  answer,  that  it  belonged  to  no  one.  In 
short,  we  both  sat  down  at  the  foot  of  this  tree,  and  the  sage, 
having  produced  the  surma  from  his  pocket,  began  to  apply  it  to 
my  eyes.  But,  alas  !  no  sooner  had  he  applied  this  composition 
than  I  became  totally  deprived  of  sight.  In  a  voice  of  sorrow  I 
asked  him  why  he  had  thus  treated  me,  and  he  replied  :  '  Such 
is  the  reward  of  treachery  ;  and  if  you  wish  to  recover  your  sight, 
you  must  for  some  time  undergo  penance  in  this  cage.  You 
must  utter  no  complaint  and  you  shall  exclaim  from  time  to 
time  :  "  Do  no  evil  to  any  one  ;  if  you  do,  evil  will  befall  you." ' 
I  entreated  the  sage  to  relieve  me,  saying  :  '  You  are  a  mere 
mortal  like  myself,  and  dare  you  thus  torment  a  fellow-creature  ? 
How  will  you  account  for  your  deeds  to  the  Supreme  Judge?' 
He  answered  :  '  This  is  the  reward  of  your  treachery. '  Seeing 
him  inexorable,  I  begged  of  him  to  inform  me  when  and  how  my 
sight  was  to  be  restored  ;  and  he  told  me,  that  a  noble  youth 
should  one  day  visit  me,  and  to  him  I  was  to  make  known  my 
condition,  and  farther  state  that  in  the  desert  of  Ilimyar  there  is 
a  certain  herb  called  the  Flower  of  Light,  which  the  youth  was 
to  procure  and  apply  to  my  eyes,  by  means  of  which  my  sight 
should  be  restored. 

"  It  is  now  three  years  since  he  left  me  in  this  prison,  which, 
though  rjuite  open,  I  cannot  quit.  Were  I  to  attempt  to  leave 
my  confinement,  I  should  feel  the  most  excruciating  pain  in  my 
limbs,  so  as  not  to  have  the  power  of  moving,  and  thus  I  am 

I  In  another  part  of  the  romance  we  read  of  a  wondrous  stone,  called 
the  Shah-muhra,  which,  when  fastened  on  the  arm,  enabled  the  wearer  to  see 
all  the  treasures  of  gold  and  gems  that  are  hid  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth. 


ROMANCE   OF  HA  TIM  TAI.  467 


compelled  to  remain.  One  day,  shortly  after  my  companion 
left  me,  I  reflected  that  I  could  do  nothing  for  myself  while  I 
continued  like  a  bird  in  this  cage,  and  accordingly  resolved  to 
quit  it  at  all  hazards ;  but  the  moment  I  was  outside  of  it  the 
pain  that  seized  my  whole  body  almost  killed  me.  I  imme- 
diately returned  to  my  prison,  and  have  since  that  time  resigned 
myself  to  my  fate,  exclaiming  at  stated  times  the  words  which 
have  attracted  your  attention.  Many  people  have  passed  by  me, 
but  on  learning  my  condition  they  left  me  as  they  found  me." 

When  the  man  in  the  cage  had  ended  his  story,  Hatim  bade 
him  be  of  good  cheer,  for  he  would  at  once  endeavour  to  relieve 
him.  By  the  aid  of  the  fairies  who  had  conducted  him  thither 
and  now  carry  him  through  the  air  for  the  space  of  seven  days,  he 
arrives  in  the  desert  where  the  Flowers  of  Light  shine  brilliant  as 
lam]5s  on  a  festival  night,  diffusing  the  sweetest  perfume  far  and 
wide  ;  and,  recking  naught  for  the  serpents,  scorpions,  and  other 
beasts  of  prey  which  infest  the  place  (for  he  was  guarded  by  a 
powerful  talisman),  he  advances  and  phicks  three  of  the  largest 
and  most  brilliant  flowers.  Returning  in  the  same  manner  as  he 
had  come,  he  reaches  the  spot  where  the  blind  man  Hamir  is 
imprisoned.  Taking  down  the  cage,  he  releases  the  wretched 
man,  compresses  the  stalk  of  the  flower  so  that  the  juice  should 
drop  upon  his  sightless  eyeballs,  and  when  this  has  been 
repeated  three  times  Hamir  opens  his  eyes,  and,  seeing  Hatim, 
falls  prostrate  at  his  feet  with  a  profusion  of  thanks. 

The  Fourth  Adventure  is  :  "  Who  is  the  man  that  has  this 
motto  over  his  door :  '  He  ivho  speaks  the  truth  is  always 
tranquil'' ;  wherein  has  he  spoken  the  truth,  and  what  degree  of 
tranquility  does  he  enjoy  in  consequence?"  Passing  through 
regions  of  enchantment,  Hatim  then  comes  to  a  city,  and  dis- 
covers the  motto  written  above  the  gate  of  a  splendid  mansion. 
He  enters  and  is  received  graciously  by  an  old  man,  who 
entertains  him  hospitably.  Next  day  he  relates  his  story  :  He  is 
eight  hundred  years  old.     In  youth  he  was  a  great  gambler,  and 


468  APPENDIX. 


having  lost  all  his  substance  he  became  a  robber.  One  night 
he  broke  into  the  king's  palace,  entered  one  of  the  chambers, 
where  the  daughter  of  the  king  was  sleeping,  and  seizing  all  her 
jewels  and  a  golden  lamp  that  burned  beside  her  he  made  his 
escape.  He  fled  to  a  desert,  where  he  found  a  gang  of  thieves 
dividing  their  plunder,  to  whom  he  showed  his  own  booty,  and 
their  avarice  was  aroused  so  that  they  were  proceeding  to  take 
it  from  him  by  force,  when  a  tremendous  voice  was  heard  close 
by,  at  which  they  ran  off  in  different  directions.  Presently  a 
figure  appeared  before  him  and  demanded:  "Who  art  thou?" 
He  told  his  story.  "  'Tis  well  for  thee,"  said  the  figure, 
"  that  thou  hast  related  the  whole  truth  ;  therefore  I  forgive  thy 
crime,  and  leave  the  treasure  to  thy  enjoyment.  But  swear 
never  to  gamble  again."  He  took  the  required  oath.  "Well, 
keep  thy  oath,  and  the  years  of  thy  life  shall  reach  nine  hundred." 
Returning  to  the  city  with  his  plunder,  his  comrades  envied  his 
prosperity,  and  reported  him  to  the  chief  of  the  police,  who 
brought  him  before  the  king,  to  whom  lie  told  the  whole  truth 
as  to  the  source  of  his  wealth,  and  the  king  pardoned  him  and 
gave  him  more  gold.     Then  he  wrote  that  motto  over  his  door. 

Halim's  Fifth  Adventure  is  to  bring  an  account  of  Mount 
Nida,  whence  a  voice  from  time  to  time  proceeds,  crying  : 
"Come  quickly!"  Whereupon  one  of  the  citizens  in  the 
neighbourhood  is  seized  with  an  uncontrolable  frenzy,  rushes 
away  to  the  mountain  and  is  seen  no  more.  This  strange 
occurrence  Hatim  learns  is  the  manner  in  which  the  inhabitants 
taste  of  death  :  when  the  doomed  person  approached  a  rock  it 
split  asunder,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  entered  the  opening  it  closed 
behind  him  and  his  soul  quitted  his  body. 

The  Sixth  Adventure  is  to  procure  Husn  Banii  a  pearl 
similar  to  one  she  already  possesses,  which  is  as  large  as  a  duck's 
egg.  Hatim  learns  from  the  conversation  of  a  pair  of  Nitka 
birds  that  their  species  used  to  "lay"  such  pearls  once  in  thirty 


ROMANCE   OF  HA  TIM  TAI.  469 


years,  but  this  faculty  had  ceased  since  the  days  of  Solomon ;  that 
only  two  were  on  the  face  of  the  earth  now  (all  others  being  at 
the  bottom  of  the  sea),  one  being  in  the  possession  of  Husn  Banii, 
the  other  in  the  treasurj'  of  a  fairy,  who  has  an  only  daughter  : 
he  who  can  tell  the  history  of  that  pearl  (which  Ilatim  has  heard 
from  the  well-infonned  birds)  shall  have  her  in  marriage  and  the 
pearl  for  her  dowrj'.  Needless  to  add  that  Ilatim  is  successful  in 
his  quest,  bestows  the  young  fairy  on  her  lover,  who  had  been 
unable  to  comply  with  her  father's  condition,  and  returns  with 
the  pearl  to  Husn  Banii. 

Hatini's  Seventh  Adventure,  and  the  last,  is  to  bring  the 
lady  an  account  of  the  bath  of  Badgird — an  enchanted  palace 
erected  for  the  preservation  of  a  peerless  and  priceless  diamond 
l)y  its  owner,  a  powerful  magician.  The  stone  is  in  the  body  of  a 
parrot,  Hatim  is  told  by  a  bird  of  the  same  species  before 
entering  the  hall,  and  whoever  enters  shall  never  return  unless  he 
obtain  possession  of  the  gem.  He  will  find  a  bow  and  three 
arrows  laid  on  a  sofa  in  the  hall,  and  must  shoot  the  arrows  at 
the  parrot,  and  if  he  hit  right  through  its  head  he  will  break  the 
spell,  but  if  not,  he  will,  like  all  others  before  him,  be  turned 
to  marble.  Nothing  daunted,  Hatim  shoots  one  arrow,  and, 
missing,  he  becomes  marble  up  to  his  knees  ;  the  second  arrow 
also  missing,  he  becomes  marble  up  to  his  middle  ;  but  (placing 
his  reliance  in  God)  when  he  shoots  the  third  arrow  it  pierces  the 
head  of  the  parrot  and  it  falls  lifeless  to  the  ground.  This 
achievement  is  immediately  followed  by  a  storm  of  wind,  thunder, 
lightning — darkness.  And  Hatim  can  see  no  palace  or  parrot, 
l)ut  at  his  feet  are  the  bow  and  arrow  and  a  diamond  of  dazzling 
l^rilliance.  No  sooner  had  Hatim  seized  the  diamond  than 
all  the  marble  statues  started  into  life,  being  freed  from  the  spell 
of  the  enchanter. 

Returning  to  Shahabad,  Hatim  presented  the  diamond  to 
Husn  Bani'i,  and,  as  he  had  now  fulfilled  all  her  conditions,  she 
was  straightway  married  to  Prince  ^lunir,  who  thus  reached  the 


470  APPENDIX. 


summit  of  happiness.  Hatim  then  returned  to  the  capital  of 
Yaman,  where  he  was  affectionately  received  by  his  father  and 
mother,  and  his  arrival  was  hailed  with  universal  joy,  while 
every  house  resounded  with  music  and  mirth.  Shortly  after  this 
Hatim's  father  resigned  the  reins  of  government  into  his  hand 
and  lived  in  retirement  for  the  remainder  of  his  life,  which 
amounted  to  twelve  years,  seven  months,  and  nine  days.  Hatim 
reigned  long  and  happily  in  Yaman. i 

Such  is  the  substance  of  the  wonderful  Adventures  of  Hatim 
Tai,  though  I  have  necessarily  omitted  many  details  and  some 
rather  curious  incidents  :  like  a  tale  in  the  Arabian  Nights,  out 
of  which  spring  several  other  tales,  each  of  Hatim's  expeditions 
led  him  on  to  others,  which  had  to  be  accomplished  before 
he  could  attain  the  end  for  which  he  originally  set  out.  He 
undergoes  some  extraordinary  experiences,  too,   such  as  being 

I  An  abridged  and  "  improved  "  version  of  the  romance  of  Hatim  Tat  was 
printed  at  Calcutta  about  the  year  1825,  of  which  a  translation — by  James 
Atkinson,  I  understand — reprinted  from  the  Calcutta  Government  Gazette, 
appeared  in  the  Asiatic  Journal,  March — June  1829.  Whoever  may  have 
been  the  learned  Munshi  that  made  this  version,  he  has  certainly  taken  most 
unwarrantable  liberties  with  his  original.  Thus  :  Husn  Banu's  father  dies, 
leaving  her  "an  orphan,  poor,  and  unprotected."  She  has  the  misfortune  to 
"attract  the  admiration  of  a  darvesh,"  whom  she  "indignantly  spurned 
from  her  presence."  The  darvesh  goes  to  the  king  and  complains  that 
"  a  certain  woman  has  solicited  me  to  marry  her,  and  not  being  able  to 
accomplish  her  object,  enraged  at  my  refusal,  she  has  bitterly  reproached 
and  even  beaten  me  "  !  The  king  orders  her  to  be  thrust  out  of  the  city,  and 
so  on.  The  "  man"  who  appears  to  her  in  a  vision  is  Khoja  Khizar,  which 
however  is  appropriate,  that  mystical  personage  being  the  tutelary  friend  of 
good  Muslims  in  distress.  He  tells  her  where  she  may  find  the  "  treasure  of 
the  Seven  Kings,  buried  in  seven  different  places ;  seven  splendid  peacock 
thrones,  adorned  with  gems  beyond  all  price,  and  one  precious  pearl  of 
unequalled  beauty.  All  these  are  thine."  The  king  on  hearing  of  her 
"  find"  attempts  to  seize  the  contents  of  six  of  the  pits  of  treasure  by  force, 
but  the  gold  and  gems  become  serpents  and  dragons.  In  this  version  it 
does  not  appear  that  the  queries,  or  rather  tasks,  were  suggested  by  the 
nurse.     Altogether  it  is  much  inferior  to  the  story  as  translated  by  Forbes. 


THE  PAINTER'S  STORY.  471 


swallowed  alive  and  unhurt  by  a  dragon  of  such  monstrous 
dimensions  that  he  kept  tramping  to  and  fro  in  its  stomach  till  it 
was  at  last  obliged,  for  its  internal  peace,  to  eject  him  and  be  off; 
dipping  his  hand  into  a  lake  in  order  to  drink  of  the  waters,  and 
finding  it  instantly  turned  into  pure  silver — where,  O  where  is 
that  lake  ? — and  coming  to  another,  which  had  the  property  of 
restoring  the  argentine  member  to  flesh  and  blood  ;  not  to  speak 
of  the  scenes  of  enchantment,  which  indeed  seem  to  have  been 
begot  of  hashish  or  a  like  narcotic.  With  all  its  absurdities, 
however,  the  niorale  of  the  romance  is  excellent :  the  hero  goes 
about  constantly  doing  good ;  benevolent  towards  bird  and 
beast  as  well  as  to  mankind  ;  feeding  the  hungr)',  relieving  the 
distressed,  and  binding  up  the  broken  heart. — This  work  is  still 
a  first  favourite  among  the  Persians,  who  continue  to  entertain  a 
firm  belief  in  divs,  paris,  and  many  other  kinds  of  spirits,  good 
and  evil. 


Of  the  three  stories  which  are  interwoven  with  our  tale  of 
Hatim  and  the  Benevolent  Lady  but  one  is  represented  in  the 
Romance,  that  of  the  Blind  Man,  namely,  but  the  details  are 
very  different  in  the  two  versions. 

The  Painter  s  Story  (p.  jj) 

begins  with  an  account  of  a  fight  which  he  witnessed  in  his 
garden  between  a  white  snake  and  a  black  snake,  and  seeing  the 
former  was  about  to  succumb  he  slew  the  black  snake.  This 
incident  also  occurs  in  the  Romance,  when  Hatim  is  returning 
from  his  second  expedition,  only  the  magnanimous  hero  does  not 
kill — or  even  scotch — the  black  snake  :  he  simply  shouts,  when  it 
lets  go  its  hold  of  the  other  and  wriggles  off.  The  white  snake 
then  becomes  a  handsome  young  man,  and  tells  Hatim  that  he 
is  the  son  of  a  king  of  the  jinn,  that  the  black  snake  is  his 
father's  slave,  and  bears  a  most  deadly  enmity  towards  himself, 


472  APPENDIX. 


and  so  forth — an  incident  found  in  many  Asiatic  story-books. 
The  Painter's  subsequent  experiences  in  the  subaqueous  palace 
of  the  king  of  the  jinn  do  not  occur  in  the  romance,  though 
the  story  is  known  to  several  collections,  and,  introduced  by 
the  incident  of  the  two  snakes,  it  is  found,  as  follows,  in 
Turkish  Evening  Entertainments,  a  translation,!  by  J.  P. 
Brown,  of  a  Turkish  story-book  entitled  'Ajd^ih  el-nia'dsir  'jua 
ghara'ih  en-nawddir  (Wonders  of  Remarkable  Incidents  and 
Rarities  of  Anecdote),  by  Ahmed  ibn  Hemden,  the  Ketkhoda, 
surnamed  Suhayli  {i.e.  Canopus),  who  composed  it  for  Murad, 
the  fourth  Ottoman  sultan,  who  reigned  between  A.  D.  1623 
and  A.  D.    1640  : 

In  ancient  times  the  sovereign  of  the  country  of  Saba  was  a 
man  called  Yeshrah.  One  day,  when  this  excellent  prince  was 
travelling,  he  came  to  an  extensive  plain  where  were  two 
serpents  resembling  frightful  dragons.  One  of  these  was  white, 
the  other  black.  They  were  entwined  around  each  other  in 
desperate  conflict,  and  the  white  one  had  received  a  wound  in 
a  most  tender  part  of  its  body.  The  black  serpent  being  thus 
victorious,  the  strength  of  the  white  one  was  exhausted  ;  it  could 
move  no  more,  and  the  black  one  M'reaked  its  vengeance  upon 
the  helpless  animal.  King  Yeshrah,  touched  with  pity,  went  to 
the  assistance  of  the  white  snake,  and  aided  it  in  its  conquered 
state.  He  placed  a  diamond-pointed  arrow  in  his  bow,  and, 
taking  aim  at  the  black  snake,  he  let  fly  and  instantly  killed  it. 
The  white  snake,  thus  released,  crawled  away. 

■One  day  the  king  received  a  visit  from  a  youth  of  a  handsome 
exterior,  who  informed  him  that  he  belonged  to  the  race  of  the 
jinn,  and  was  the  white  serpent  rescued  by  him.  The  youth 
then  made  proffers  of  service  to  the  king,  which  he  declined, 
upon  which  he  offered  the  king  his  sister  in  marriage.  The 
king,  enchanted  by  her  beauty,  accepted  her,  and  the  marriage 
took  place  on  the  king  undertaking  to  consent  to  everything 
which  his  wife  did,  were  it  good  or  evil.     Soon  after  the  birth  of 


I  Published  at  New- York,  1850. 


THE  PAINTER'S  STORY.  473 


his  first  son,  a.  dog  approached  the  queen,  who  suddenly  cast 
the  child  into  the  dog's  mouth,  and  the  dog  ran  away  with  it, 
to  the  king's  great  grief.  Their  next  child,  a  girl,  the  queen 
cast  into  a  brazier,  where  the  infant  was  immediately  consumed. 
The  king  was  now  exceedingly  afflicted  ;  but  the  birth  of  a 
second  daughter,  who  was  so  delicately  beautiful  on  account  of  her 
resembling  the  hi'iris  of  Paradise  that  she  was  called  Bilkis,  some- 
what reconciled  him  to  his  loss.  The  king  implored  her  not  to 
treat  this  child  as  she  had  done  the  two  others,  for  which  she 
severely  rebuked  him. 

Soon  after  this  a  powerful  enemy  attacked  the  king,  and  his 
own  vazir,  secretly  allying  himself  with  the  enemy,  poisoned  the 
provisions  designed  for  the  king's  army.  The  queen  destroyed 
the  provisions,  at  which  the  king  in  wrath  demanded  her  reason. 
The  queen  explained  the  affair  to  her  husband,  and  gave  the 
remaining  bread  to  an  animal  which  fell  dead  after  eating  it. 
She  then  said  that  the  king  having  broken  the  condition  made 
on  his  marriage  with  her,  all  intercourse  must  now  cease  between 
them,  and  informed  him  that  the  son  thrown  to  the  dog  was  still 
alive,  and  had  been  brought  up  by  a  nurse  in  that  form,  and  that 
the  daughter  was  also  in  perfect  health,  nursed  by  the  fire. 
Beseeching  him  to  be  mindful  of  their  daughter  Bilkis,  who 
should  succeed  to  the  throne  and  become  a  great  and  illustrious 
queen,  and  promising  to  send  to  his.  succour  an  army  of  jinn- 
soldiers,  she  disappeared  from  the  king's  sight  for  ever.  The 
troops  of  jinn  came  to  his  assistance  as  promised,  routed  the 
enemy's  forces,  and  restored  the  king  to  his  throne.  But  still 
he  was  afflicted  by  the  loss  of  his  wife.  At  length  the  fatal 
moment  arrived,  and  he  died  ;  and  his  daughter  Bilkis  succeeded 
him  on  the  throne,  and  her  history  has  been  written  elsewhere 
in  a  detailed  manner. 

Thus,  if  we  may  place  any  credit  in  the  foregoing  story,  the 
thrice-renowned  Queen  of  Sheba  was  jinn-born  :  no  wonder, 
therefore,  if  she  was  a  miracle  of  beauty  and  wisdom  !     It  does 


474  APPENDIX. 


not  appear,  however,  why  her  fairy-mother  did  not  dispose  of 
her  soon  after  she  was  born,  in  the  same  extraordinary  manner 
as  she  "made  away"  with  her  previous  babes. — Regarding  the 
notion  that  when  a  human  being  unites  with  one  of  a  super- 
natural order  there  are  certain  conditions  always  imposed  by  the 
latter,  the  breaking  of  which  must  result  in  their  separation, 
generally  temporary,  I  take  leave  to  refer  the  reader  to  my 
Popular  Tales  and  Fictions,  vol.   i,  p.   212  ft". 

In  more  or  less  different  forms  the  same  story  is  found  in  the 
following  works  :  in  Les  Mille  et  tin  Jours,  which  purports  to 
have  been  translated,  by  Petis  de  la  Croix,  from  a  Persian 
collection  entitled  Hazdr  ti  Yek  Rjiz,  the  Thousand  and  one 
Days,  by  a  darvesh  named  Mukhlis,  of  Isfahan,  from  whom 
M.  Petis  obtained  a  copy  in  1675,  where  it  is  entitled  "  Histoire 
du  Roi  Ruzvanschad  et  de  la  Princesse  Cheheristani,"  but  in 
this  version  the  king's  fairy-wife  leaves  him  only  for  a  time  ;  in  a 
Turkish  story-book,  entitled  Al-Faraj  ba'd  al-ShiddaJi,  Joy 
after  Distress,  a  work  written  not  later  than  the  15th  century  ;i 
and  in  a  collection  described  by  Dr.  Chas.  Rieu  in  his  Catalogue 
of  Persian  MSS.  in  the  British  Miisen>ii,\o\.  ii,  p.  759,  Or.  237, 
which  has  no  specific  title,  the  compiler,  whose  poetical  name 
was  Ilubbi,  merely  calling  his  work,  Hikaydt-i  ^ Agib  I'c  Gharib, 
Wonderful  and  Strange  Tales.  In  this  last  work,  the  MS.  of 
which  is  unfortunately  imperfect,  the  final  story.  No.  34,  relates 
how  a  king  of  Vaman,  while  hunting,  saw  two  snakes,  a  white 
one  and  a  black  one,  engaged  in  deadly  combat.  He  sends  an 
attendant  to  kill  the  black  snake  and  rescue  the  white  one, 
which  was  half  dead  ;  which  being  done,  he  causes  the  rescued 
snake  to  be  laid  down  beside  a  spring  of  water,  under  the  shade 

I  I  am  greatly  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  Prof.  E.  Fagnan,  of  the  Ecoledes 
[>ettres,  Algiers,  for  many  interesting  and  important  particulars  regarding 
this  Turkish  work,  of  which  several  MS.  copies  are  preserved  in  the  Biblio- 
theque  Nationale,  Paris — particulars  of  which  I  have  already  made  some  use 
in  Originals  and  Analogues  of  some  0/ Chaucer's  Canterbury  Tales,  printed 
for  the  Chaucer  Society,  and  I  hope  soon  to  make  still  farther  use  of  them  in 
.another  publication. 


THE  PAINTER'S  STORY.  475 


of  a  tree.  The  snake  rallies,  and  after  a  while  crawls  away. 
WTien  the  king  is  asleep  at  night,  the  wall  of  his  chamber 
suddenly  opens  and  a  fair  youth  appears.  "  I  am,"  says  he, 
"  the  king  of  the  paris  (fairies).  You  rescued  me  from  the 
black  snake.  I  am  now  come  to  requite  your  kind  act.  If 
you  wish  it,  I  will  make  you  rich  with  many  treasures."  No 
more  of  the  MS.  remains, 1  but  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  sequel 
was  similar  to  that  of  the  Turkish  story  cited  above. 

The  battle  between  the  two  snakes,  which  is  found  so  often 
reproduced  in  Arabian  and  Persian  story-books— though  I  can- 
not recollect  having  met  with  it  in  any  Indian  collection — seems 
reflected  in  two  incidents  in  the  Voyage  of  Saint  Brandan.  One 
day  the  saint  and  his  companions  discover  a  monstrous  sea- 
serpent  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  exhaling  fire  from  its  nostrils, 
as  it  were  the  roaring  flame  of  a  furnace ;  and  while  the  pious 
voyagers  could  not  measure  its  length  they  were  more  successful 
with  its  breadth,  which  was  "full  fifteen  feet,  I  trow";  presently 
a  monster  of  the  same  species  appears,  and  a  terrific  combat  takes 
place  between  the  two,  until  one  is  torn  by  his  antagonist  into 
three  pieces,  when  the  victor  sinks  down  into  the  sea.  After 
this  they  see  a  deadly  conflict  in  the  air  between  a  grifiin  and  a 
dragon. — It  is  well  known  to  students  of  the  historj'  of  popular 
fictions  that  many  Eastern  tales  and  incidents  had  found  their 
way  into  Western  literature  long  before  the  collection  commonly 
but  incorrectly  called  the  Arabian  Nights,  in  its  existing  form, 
was  compiled. 

Among  the  countless  absurdities  abounding  in  the  To/doth 
Jeshii,  a  scurrilous  "life"  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Jewish  invention — the 
text  of  which,  with  a  Latin  translation,  is  given  at  the  end  of  the 
second  volume  of  Wagenseil's  Tela  Ignea  Sataiia,  1681 — is  an 
aerial  conflict  between  Jeshu  and  Rabbi  Judas  before  Queen 
Helena  :    ' '  And  when  Jeshu  had   spoken  the  incommunicable 

I  Dr.  Rieu,  of  the  British  Museum,  kindly  furnished  me  with  the  above 
outline  of  the  storj-,  so  far  as  it  exists  in  the  MS. 


476  APPENDIX. 


Name,i  there  came  a  wind  and  raised  him  between  heaven  and 
earth.  Thereupon  Judas  spake  the  same  Name,  and  the  wind 
raised  him  also  between  heaven  and  earth.  And  they  flew,  both 
of  them,  around  in  the  regions  of  the  air,  and  all  who  saw  it 
marvelled.  Judas  then  spake  again  the  Name,  and  seized 
Jeshu  and  sought  to  cast  him  to  the  earth.  But  Jeshu  also 
spake  the  Name,  and  sought  to  cast  Judas  down,  and  they 
strove  one  with  the  other."  Ultimately  Judas  prevails  and 
casts  Jeshu  to  the  ground,  and  the  elders  seize  him  ;  his  power 
leaves  him  ;  and  he  is  subjected  to  the  tauntings  of  his  captors. 
Being  rescued  by  his  disciples,  he  hastened  to  the  Jordan ;  and 
when  he  had  washed  therein  his  power  returned,  and  with  the 
Name  he  again  wrought  his  former  miracles.^  This  "story" — 
to  employ  the  term  in  its  nursery  sense — strongly  resembles  the 
equally  apocryphal  legend  of  the  aerial  contest  at  Rome  between 
St.  Peter  and  Simon  JMagus,  in  which  the  apostle  overthrew 
the  magician. 

The    IVas/icr/iiafis  Story  (p.  §8) 

calls  for  but  slight  remark.  The  fairies  who  alighted  in  suc- 
cession on  the  tree  in  the  form  of  doves,  and  putting  off  their 
feather-dress  appeared  as  the  most  beautiful  damsels,  belong,  of 
course,  to  the  Bird-Maiden  class,  and  the  Washerman,  by  his 
own  showing,  did  not  deserve  to  possess  any  one  of  them. 
Could  he  have  decided — but  perhaps  the  trial  was  too  much  for 
him— he  might  have  secured  even  the  last  and  most  bewitching 
of  the  three,  liy  taking  possession  of  her  feather-robe,  when  she 
would  have  no  alternative  but  to  follow  him  wheresoever  he 
might  go :  l)ut  evidently  he  did  not  know  this.  (See  the 
chapter  on  "  Bird-Maidens"  in  my  Popular  Tales  and  Fictions, 
vol.  i.  p.  182  ff.) 

1  See  note,  page  163. 

2  The  Lost  and  Hostile  Gospels,  p.  83,  by  the  Rev.  S.  P.aring-Gould,  who 
has  pointed  out  the  gross  anachronism  of  making  the  imaginary  conflict  take 
place  in  the  presence  of  Queen  Helena. 


THE  BLIND  MAN'S  STORY.  477 


The  Blind  Man's  Story  (p.  60) 

differs  considerably  from  its  representative  in  the  Romance,  the 
story  of  the  blind  man  Haniir  in  the  cage  {ante  p.  464  ff.) ;  and 
it  is  also  observable  that  in  our  story  Hatim  does  nothing  to 
mitigate  the  poor  man's  wretchedness.  Both  versions  agree  in 
treasure  being  found  in  a  dwelling  house  ;  but  in  our  story  it  is 
the  geomancer  who  is  the  blind  man,  and  his  eyes  are  blinded  in 
mistake  by  a  vindictive  neighbour  of  the  friend  whom  he  thought 
to  entrap  ; — while  in  the  other  story  it  is  the  man  in  whose  house 
the  treasure  was  discovered  who  is  blinded  by  the  geomancer,  in 
revenge  of  the  ill-treatment  he  had  received  at  his  hands  ;  and  it 
is  by  the  application  of  siirnia  to  his  eyes,  by  means  of  which  he 
expected  to  behold  all  the  hidden  treasure  of  the  world,  that  he 
is  deprived  of  sight.  The  analogous  tale  in  our  common  version 
of  the  Arabian  Nights,  of  the  Blind  Man  Baba  Abdullah  (it  has 
not  yet  been  found  in  any  Arabic  text  of  the  collection),  is 
wholly  different  in  all  its  details  until  it  reaches  the  catastrophe, 
when  the  greedy  cameleer,  after  getting  back  from  the  darvesh 
all  his  share  of  the  treasure,  returns  to  request  the  box  of  salve, 
which,  after  having  had  applied  to  his  left  eye  and  thereby  been 
enabled  to  see  all  concealed  treasure,  he  insists — in  spite  of  the 
repeated  warning  of  the  darvesh — on  being  also  applied  to  his 
right  eye,  whereupon  he  instantly  becomes  stone-blind.  Widely 
as  the  three  stories  differ  one  from  the  other,  in  details,  however, 
it  is  very  evident,  I  think,  that  they  have  been  independentl)- 
adapted  from  a  common  source. 

The  very  climax  of  absurdity  is  surely  reached  by  the  author  of 
our  version  of  the  story  of  Hatim  when  he  represents  the 
benevolent  Lady  as  saying  (p.  50)  that  she  is  so  jealous  of  the 
wide-spread  fame  of  Hatim  for  liberality  that  she  wishes  him  to 
be  killed  ;  and  when,  on  his  return,  she  reproaches  him  for  not 
having  brought  her  Hatim's  head,  he  replies  that  he  is  himself 


478  APPENDIX. 


Hatim  and  that  his  head  is  at  her  disposal,  whereupon  the  lady, 
struck  with  such  magnanimity,  at  once  consents  to  marry  him. 
According  to  tradition,  an  enemy  of  Hatim  despatched  one  of 
his  officers  to  slay  him  and  bring  his  head.  When  he  reached 
the  encampments  of  the  tribe  of  Ta'i,  he  was  courteously  greeted 
by  an  Arab,  and  invited  into  his  tent,  where  he  was  treated 
most  hospitably ;  and  in  the  morning  he  told  his  host  that  he 
had  been  sent  thither  by  his  master  to  slay  Hatim  and  bring 
back  his  head.  The  host  smilingly  replied  :  "I  am  Hatim  ;  and 
if  my  head  will  gratify  your  master,  smite  it  off  without  delay." 
The  man  hastened  away  in  confusion ;  and  returning  to  his 
master  told  him  of  his  adventure,  and  the  enemy  of  Hatim  ever 
afterwards  loved  and  esteemed  him. — This  seems  to  be  the 
tradition  adapted  so  incongruously  by  our  author. 

The  idea  of  our  tale  of  Hatim  and  the  Benevolent  Lady  may 
have  been  partly  taken  from  the  .Story  of  the  Third  Darvesh 
in  the  Persian  work,  Kissa-i  Chehdr  Daii'esh  (Romance  of  the 
Four  Darveshes),  an  anonymous  book,  of  uncertain  date,i  where 
the  narrator,  a  Persian  prince,  tells  how  he  tried  to  imitate  the 
generosity  of  Hatim,  by  causing  a  great  palace  to  be  erected 
with  four  gates,  at  each  of  which  he  distrilnited  gold  and  silver 
to  all  comers.  One  day  a  wandering  darvesh  receives  money  at 
each  of  the  gates  in  succession,  and  then  begins  to  beg  again 
at  the  first  gate,  upon  which  the  prince  upl^raids  him  for  his 
greediness,  and  the  darvesh  retorts,  as  in  our  story,  that  there  is 
a  lady  to  whose  liberality  there  is  absolutely  no  bound.     The 

I  This  romance  is  ascribed  by  mere  popular  tradition,  and  on  no  solid 
authority,  to  the  celebrated  poet  Mir  Khusrau,  who  died  in  1324,  A. d. 
Authentic  accounts  of  the  poet  make  no  mention  of  any  such  work,  and  it 
is  probably  to  be  assigned  to  a  much  later  date.  An  incorrect  copy  of  the 
Chehdr  Darz'csli  is  described  in  Dr.  Rieu's  Catalogue  0/ the  Persian  MSS. 
ift  the  British  Museum,  vol.  ii,  p.  762,  Add.  8917.  In  the  Bagh  o  Bahtir 
(Garden  and  Spring),  which  is  a  modern  Urdi'i  amplification,  by  Mir  Amman, 
not  always  in  the  best  taste,  the  Story  of  the  Second  Darvesh  is  that  of  the 
Third  in  the  Persian  original. 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  KASHARKASHA.         479 


prince  learns  that  this  generous  lady  is  the  princess  of  Basra, 
and  donning  the  robe  of  a  darvesh  he  sets  out  for  that  city, 
where  he  is  sumptuously  entertained  for  several  days  by  the 
servants  of  the  princess,  after  which  he  writes  her  a  letter, 
declaring  his  rank  and  offering  her  marriage.  He  is  told  that 
the  princess  has  resolved  to  marry  only  him  who  should  bring 
her  the  explanation  of  the  singular  conduct  of  a  youth  in  the  city 
of  Namniz  who  appeared  once  a  month  riding  on  a  bull,  carry- 
ing a  vase  of  gold  and  jewels  in  his  hand,  which  he  smashed  in 
the  market-place,  and  then  smote  off  the  head  of  one  of  his 
slaves,  immediately  afterwards  riding  away  again,  foaming  at  the 
mouth.  The  royal  mendicant  undertakes  to  ascertain  the  cause 
of  the  youth's  madness  (he  proves  to  be  in  love  with  a  fairy,  like 
the  Painter  in  our  tale),  and  before  setting  out  for  Namruz  is 
admitted  into  the  private  chamber  of  the  princess,  who  is  con- 
cealed behind  a  curtain,  where  a  slave-girl  relates  the  history  of 
her  mistress  :  how  she  was  one  of  seven  daughters  of  a  king,  and 
was  driven  out  of  the  palace  because  she  would  not  acknowledge 
that  she  derived  her  good  fortune  from  her  father,  but  maintained 
that  it  was  from  God.  In  the  wilderness  she  meets  a  darvesh, 
and  discovers  underground  immense  treasures,  and  so  forth. — 
This  story  of  the  princess  of  Basra  is  one  of  the  numerous 
parallels  or  analogous  tales  cited  by  my  friend  Mr.  E.  Sidney 
Hartland  in  a  very  able  and  interesting  paper  on  the  "  Outcast 
Child"  cycle,  in  the  Folk- Lore  Journal,  1886,  vol.  iv,  p.  308  ff. 

Story  of  Prinxe  Kasharkasha. 

The  latter  part  of  this  tale  —  where  the  merchant  Sadullah 
befriends  the  imprudent  prince,  bestows  his  own  wife  on  him, 
afterwards  becomes  ruined  in  fortune,  and  visits  the  now  pro- 
sperous sovereign,  on  whom  he  had  lavished  such  favours  (pp. 
S9-97) — has  long  been  current  in  Europe  as  well  as  in  the  East, 
in  various  forms.  It  occurs  in  the  collection  of  Persian  Tales 
translated  into  French  by  Petis  de  la  Croix,  under  the  title  of 


48o  APPENDIX. 

Les  Alille  et  tin  Joins  (first  published  in  1710-12,  5  vols.), 
where  it  is  entitled  :  "  Histoire  de  Nasiraddole,  roi  de  Mousel ; 
d'Abderrahmane,  marchand  de  Baghdad  ;  et  de  la  belle  Zeineb," 
and  it  is  to  the  following  effect  : 

A  rich  young  merchant  named  Abd  er- Rahman,  meets  with  a 
stranger  in  a  confectioner's  shop  in  Baghdad,  and  the  two  soon 
become  very  intimate  friends.  After  some  time  the  stranger 
informs  the  merchant  that  he  must  now  return  to  Mosul. 
The  merchant  says  that  he  himself  may  soon  have  to  visit  that 
town,  and  begs  to  know  his  friend's  name,  so  that  he  may  be 
able  to  inquire  for  him  there.  The  stranger  bids  him  to  come 
and  see  him  at  the  palace.  Abd  er- Rahman  goes  to  Mosul  on 
business  and  discovers  that  the  stranger  is  no  less  a  personage 
than  King  Nasir  ad-Dole,  who  is  delighted  to  see  him  and  enter- 
tains him  in  the  palace  for  a  whole  year,  after  which  he  returns 
to  Baghdad,  the  king  parting  with  him  very  reluctantly. 
Arrived  in  Baghdad,  the  merchant  regales  his  friends  and 
acquaintances  in  the  most  sumptuous  manner,  and  purchases 
a  number  of  slave-girls,  with  one  of  whom,  a  Circassian  beauty 
called  Zaynib,  he  becomes  greatly  enamoured.  The  king  of 
Mosul  comes  again  to  Baghdad,  without  attendants,  and  is  the 
honoured  and  cherished  guest  of  his  friend  the  merchant  Abd  er- 
Rahman.  One  day  the  king  boasts  of  some  beautiful  slave-girls 
in  his  haram  in  Mosul,  when  the  merchant,  inflamed  with  wine, 
leads  the  king  into  an  inner  apartment,  magnificently  furnished, 
where  are  seated  thirty  lovely  damsels,  adorned  profusely  with 
the  rarest  diamonds.  The  king  is  perfectly  amazed  on  beholding 
the  peerless  beauty  of  Zaynib,  and  on  the  following  day,  in  a 
melancholy  tone,  informs  his  friend  that  he  intends  returning  at 
once  to  Mosul.  "  lias  your  majesty  aught  to  complain  of,  that 
you  have  formed  this  sudden  resolution?"  the  merchant  inquired 
anxiously.  "All  my  complaint,"  replied  the  king,  "is  of  my 
destiny";  but  when  he  is  about  to  depart  his  friend  learns  from 
him  that  he  is  desperately  in  love  with  the  fair  Zaynib,  and  then 
the  king  takes  his  leave  and  sets  out  for  Mosul.     Abd  cr-Rahman 


STORY  OF  PRINCE  KASHARKASHA. 


then  reflects  that  he  should  not  have  shown  Zaynib  to  the  king, 
who  must  now  lead  a  sorrowful  life.  At  length  he  resolves  to 
send  the  damsel  to  his  royal  friend,  and,  having  ordered  her 
litter  to  be  prepared,  sends  for  Zaynib  and  tells  her  that  she  does 
not  now  belong  to  him,  but  to  the  king  of  Mosul,  whom  she 
saw  yesterday; — "  he  is  in  love  with  you,  and  is  himself  lovely. " 
Zaynib  bursts  into  tears  and  exclaims  :  "  Ah,  you  no  longer  love 
me — some  other  damsel  has  taken  your  heart  from  me  !"  "Not 
so,"  says  he.  "  I  swear  that  I  have  never  loved  you  so  much  as 
I  do  at  this  moment."  "Why,  then,  do  you  part  with  me?" 
"Because  I  cannot  bear  the  thought  of  my  friend's  sorrow." 
So  a  number  of  attendants  are  sent  with  Zaynib  to  Mosul,  but 
the  king  had  arrived  there  before  them.  When  she  is  ushered 
into  the  palace,  the  king  perceives  that  she  is  sorrowful,  and 
that  his  presence  is  distasteful  to  her — evidently  she  cannot 
forget  the  merchant. 

Meanwhile  Abd  er-Rahman  falls  into  a  languishing  condition, 
and  one  day  the  grand  vazir  sends  officers  to  apprehend  him 
on  a  trumped-up  charge  of  having  spoken  disrespectfully  of  the 
Khalif  in  his  cups,  made  by  two  envious  courtiers,  his  enemies. 
The  merchant's  house  is  razed,  his  wealth  is  confiscated,  and  he 
is  to  be  put  to  death  the  next  day.  But  the  gaoler,  whom  the 
merchant  had  formerly  befriended,  takes  pity  on  him  and 
secretly  sets  him  at  liberty.  When  the  vazir  learns  of  this  he 
sends  for  the  gaoler  and  tells  him  that  if  the  merchant  is  not 
re-captured  in  the  course  of  twenty-four  hours  he  will  certainly 
suffer  in  his  place.  The  gaoler  answers  that  he  believes  the 
merchant  to  be  innocent  of  the  crime  charged  against  him. 
In  the  meantime  Abd  er-Rahman  is  concealed  in  a  friend's 
house  and  the  police  are  scouring  the  country  in  search  of  him, 
and  during  their  absence  from  the  city  he  escapes  and  takes  the 
road  to  Mosul.  \\'hen  he  enters  the  palace  there,  the  king 
simply  orders  his  treasurer  to  give  him  two  hundred  gold  sequins. 
The  poor  merchant  is  surprised  that  the  king  should  bestow  such 
a  paltry  sum  on  him,  after  the  sacrifice  he  had  made  by  present- 

2  I 


482  APPENDIX. 


ing  the  fair  Zaynib  to  his  majesty.  He  takes  the  money, 
however,  and  tries  all  means  of  increasing  it  by  trade.  At  the 
end  of  six  months  he  returns  to  the  king  and  informs  him  that  he 
has  lost  fifty  of  the  two  hundred  sequins  by  his  unfortunate 
speculations.  The  king  bids  his  treasurer  give  him  fifty  more 
sequins,  again  to  the  surprise  of  the  merchant,  who  departs  once 
more  on  a  trading  expedition,  but  this  time  he  gains  a  hundred 
sequins  and  returning  to  Mosul  he  acquaints  the  king  of  his 
success.  "  Misfortunes  are  contagious,"  said  the  king.  "  I  had 
heard  of  your  disgrace  and  dared  not  receive  you  into  my  palace 
again,  fearing  that  your  ill  luck  should  affect  me  and  put  it  out 
of  my  power  to  assist  you  when  your  star  should  look  more 
favourably  on  you.  But  now  you  shall  live  with  me."  Next 
day  the  king  tells  the  merchant  that  he  purposes  giving  him  a 
good  wife.  "Alas,"  says  he,  "I  cannot  think  of  any  woman 
after  my  beloved  Zaynib."  But  the  king  insists,  and  that  same 
night  the  merchant  is  agreeably  surprised  to  find  that  the  wife 
given  him  by  his  royal  friend  is  none  other  than  Zaynib,  whom 
the  king  has  all  along  regarded  as  a  sister.  Not  long  after  this 
Abd  er-Rahman  learns  that  one  of  his  accusers  has  confessed, 
and  he  goes  to  Baghdad  and  recovers  part  of  his  wealth,  and 
passes  the  rest  of  his  life  at  the  court  of  Mosul. 1 

In  another  form  the  tale  of  the  Two  Friends  is  found  in  the 
Disciplina  Clericalis  of  Peter  Alphonsus,  a  Spanish  Jew,  of  the 
twelfth  century,  whence  it  was  probably  taken  into  the  Gesta 
Romanorum,    the   celebrated   mediaeval    monkish    collection   of 

I  In  another  Persian  version,  translated  by  Jonathan  Scott,  in  his  Tales, 
Anecdotes,  and  Letters  from  the  Arabic  and  Persian,  p.  253,  the  prince 
happens  to  see  the  merchant's  wife  in  her  litter,  returning  from  the  pilgrim- 
age to  Makka,  and  falls  desperately  in  love  with  her.  He  afterwards  makes 
the  acquaintance  of  the  merchant,  who  on  learning  the  cause  of  his  illness 
divorces  his  wife  and  makes  her  over  to  the  prince.  The  rest  of  the  story  is 
much  the  same  as  the  above,  excepting  that  the  prince  does  not  put  the 
merchant's  "  luck  "  to  trial,  but  at  once  receives  him  heartily  and  restores  to 
him  his  wife,  whom  he  had  adopted  as  his  sister. 


STORY  OF  PRINCE   KASHARKASHA. 


"spiritualised"   stories  for  the  use   of  preachers  (page   196  of 

Herrtage's  edition,  published  by  the  Early  English  Text  Society). 

It  is  also  found  in  Boccaccio's  Decameron  (Day  x,  novelle  8) ;  and 

Lydgate,  the  monk  of  Bury,  of  the  fifteenth  century,  turned  it 

into    verse  under   the   title   of   "  Fabula    duorum   mercatorum," 

beginning  : 

"  In  Egipt  whilom  as  I  rede  and  fjTide  " 

(Harleian  MS.  2251,  If.  56,  preserved  in  the  British  Museum)  ; 
and  it  forms  one  of  the  Fabliaux  in  Le  Grand's  collection,  of 
which  this  is  a  translation  : 

Two  merchants  had  been  for  a  long  time  connected  in  busi- 
ness. They  had  never  seen  each  other,  one  residing  at  Baldak 
[Baghdad?]  and  the  other  in  Egypt;  notwithstanding  which, 
from  their  long  correspondence  and  mutual  services,  they  enter- 
tained a  reciprocal  esteem  and  friendship  as  if  they  had  passed 
their  lives  together.  The  Syrian  merchant  at  last  became  very 
tlesirous  to  have  an  interview  with  his  correspondent,  and  set 
out  on  his  journey  with  that  intention,  after  having  apprised  his 
friend  of  it.  The  Egyptian  rejoiced  heartily  at  the  news,  and  on 
his  friend's  approach  went  out  several  leagues  to  meet  him.  On 
his  arrival  he  lodged  the  Syrian  in  his  own  house,  and,  making  a 
display  of  his  riches  and  all  that  he  possessed,  told  him  that 
everything  was  at  his  disposal.  In  order  to  amuse  his  guest,  he 
invited  several  persons  successively  to  his  table.  For  a  week 
together  there  was  nothing  but  feasting  and  pleasure  ;  but  in  the 
midst  of  their  enjoyment  the  traveller  was  so  struck  with  the 
beauty  of  a  lady  who  had  one  day  been  present  that  he  fell 
dangerously  ill.  Immediately  all  the  best  physicians  of  the 
country  were  sent  for.  At  first,  neither  by  his  pulse  nor  by  any 
other  symptom  could  they  discov